Predator: Badlands indicates the possibility of future crossovers with the Alien franchise, raising questions from fans. While many franchise crossovers occur in comic books and video games, the possibility of a Hollywood feature film adaptation often remains a pipe dream due to rights issues between studios. We may never see Superman fighting Thor or Jason Bourne and James Bond teaming up on the big screen, but fans of the Alien and Predator franchises lucked out with 2004’s AVP: Alien vs. Predator and the 2007 sequel.
With 20th Century Studios now owned by Disney, the company that’s found notable success with shared universes like Marvel and Star Wars, it wouldn’t be shocking for them to start an official canon for Alien and Predator. 2025’s Predator: Killer of Killers incorporated aspects of the Alien franchise, once again confirming that they are set in the same universe. The Alien franchise also has ongoing titles in development, including Alien: Earth and a sequel to 2024’s Alien: Romulus.
‘Predator: Badlands’ Has Several ‘Alien References’
Predator: Badlands incorporates more Yautja lore than audiences have ever seen in a singular film, while also offering an integral crossover with Alien. The movie’s primary antagonist is the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, the sinister company that has loomed over the Alien franchise since the original 1979 film, represented by Tessa, a synthetic played by Elle Fanning. Tessa receives her orders from MU/TH/UR, aka Mother, the computer mainframe on the Nostromo in Alien, and she also wears a variant of the Weyland-Yutani mech suits from Aliens.
While the Alien franchise has a timeline, it gets quite messy when also accounting for Predator; it’s unclear when exactly this film happens. The merger of Weyland and Yutani happened in 2099, meaning Badlands has to be after this, and the overall technology seems more advanced than that in Aliens. Our best guess of Badlands’ place on the Alien and Predator timelines would have been after Aliens, but filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg claimed it’s even further in a recent interview.
Trachtenberg claimed that Predator: Badlands occurs after Alien: Resurrection, which raised immediate questions from fans, as Weyland-Yutani and the other megacorporations were outlawed in 2349, thirty years before that film is set. This would mean the Weyland-Yutani ships in Predator: Badlands have been rogue for decades, or that Trachtenberg is diverging from the canon established in Resurrection. Given that movie’s reception, he may not get much slack for the decision.
No ‘Alien’ & ‘Predator’ Crossover Has Been Announced
Dan Trachtenberg’s Predator movies have been keeping hope for franchise crossovers alive, but the recent Alien projects haven’t reciprocated. Despite early rumors of a Yautja appearing in Alien: Earth, the FX series didn’t offer any connection to the world of Predator. Speaking with ScreenRant about the film, Trachtenberg teased that he’d like to do another movie for the franchise, but that it will depend on how Badlands performs at the box office. Given the title’s opening weekend success and generally favorable critical responses, this could be in the cards.
In 2024, Alien: Romulus filmmaker Fede Álvarez teased the possibility of a new Alien vs. Predator, and actually proposed a really fun idea: “Maybe it’s something I have to co-direct with my buddy Dan,” suggesting a Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez-like operation where both filmmakers direct a segment of the project. Given the success both filmmakers have achieved with their respective franchises, this could be a dream come true for fans if it were to come to fruition.
Regarding the new Alien: Earth, Dan Trachtenberg mentioned that he had no plans for a direct collaboration. He mentioned that he and series creator Noah Hawley had spoken about their respective projects, but that this was only to ensure there wasn’t any overlap in material. Trachtenberg added: “We don’t have much cause for specific collaboration because we’re in such different parts of the universe,” unfortunately dismissing any crossover possibilities with the FX TV show.
Until concrete information is revealed by 20th Century Fox, however, I wouldn’t advise anyone to hold their breath over a new AVP. Predator: Badlands may have incorporated Weyland-Yutani, but there weren’t any hints at a broader, overarching narrative. A sequel to Alien: Romulus is in development, and Dan Trachtenberg may follow up Predator: Badlands with something more direct, but it could still be years before plans are revealed for a proper crossover.
- Release Date
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November 5, 2025
- Runtime
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107 minutes
- Producers
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Brent O’Connor, John Davis, Marc Toberoff, Dan Trachtenberg, Ben Rosenblatt
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Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi
Dek / Father
