Predator: Badlands Debuts With Disneyfied Gore and Big-Screen Spectacle — Expect a Fandom Split

Yes, we are actually getting a PG-13 Predator movie, and yes, Disney is in the mix now. Predator: Badlands just screened for critics, and the early buzz is a mix of praise, eyebrow-raises, and a few 'who is this for?' shrugs. It is the first Predator film made under Disney's full ownership of the IP post-Fox merger, and director Dan Trachtenberg swings the franchise toward sci-fi adventure with some grisly edges left on.

The early buzz: big swings, lighter tone, world-building for days

Overall vibe: mostly positive. Critics are into the energy, the scale, and the surprisingly emotional beats. The tone is lighter than the old-school jungle-and-gore entries, with a dose of humor that is either a nice surprise or a sacrilege, depending on your personal Predator religion.

The most consistent praise is for the world-building and production design. Even from the trailers, you can see they poured effort into building a hostile alien ecosystem full of predatory creatures, toxic flora, and assorted things you should not touch.

• Some reactions say it is a 'Predator for kids' in spirit: cute in places, merch-friendly, and not nearly as brutal as the blood-soaked classics. Elle Fanning apparently steals scenes.
• Others call it a badass expansion of the franchise with wall-to-wall action — possibly Trachtenberg's weakest Predator outing to date, but still the most action-packed entry overall, with flashes of the brutality you expect.
• There is genuine enthusiasm for the look of the world: environmental design singled out as stunning; the movie is described as clever, fun, and actually funny without totally abandoning the menace.
• Deep-lore alert: it digs into Yautja mythology (the Predator species), framing the story more like a sci-fi epic than a traditional cat-and-mouse slasher. Not every big swing lands, and some legacy fans may leave disappointed, but the ambition is noted.

So... PG-13? How they pulled that off without declawing it

This is the first PG-13 rating for the mainline Predator series — once you set aside the AVP crossover — and that raised alarms for anyone who equates Predator with arterial spray. The workaround is surprisingly simple and, honestly, kind of clever: set the story on an alien planet and remove humans from the equation.

'We don't have any humans in the movie, and so we don't have any human red blood. We're hoping that's going to play to our advantage. We're going to go as hard as we possibly can within those constraints, and we think we'll be able to do some pretty awesomely gruesome stuff, but colors other than red.'

That explanation comes from producer Ben Rosenblatt, speaking to press on set (via Bloody Disgusting). Translation: the movie can still get gnarly, but if the blood is purple, neon, or anything not red and not human, the ratings board is more forgiving. It also neatly fits the creative choice to explore a new planet and dive into Predator culture, while making it broadly accessible for younger audiences. Of course, longtime fans who live for the franchise's blood-and-guts pedigree may feel iced out by the 'Disney-fied' vibe.

The bottom line right now

Trachtenberg's gamble seems to be working for most critics: big-scale sci-fi adventure, lots of action, sharp design, and a playful tone — with some debate about whether the softer edges and jokes belong in a Predator movie. If you want the heaviest, nastiest entry, this probably is not it. If you are curious about a lore-heavy, planet-hopping Predator that kids can theoretically watch, this is that swing.

When you can see it

Predator: Badlands hits US theaters on November 7, 2025, from 20th Century Studios.