The newly released Predator: Badlands is technically a standalone chapter in the long-running hunt-happy franchise, but it turns out the movie has some unexpected ties to the larger Alien universe, and even a few winks at some other of the best sci-fi movies of all time. According to director Dan Trachtenberg, some of those connections were intentional; he even made changes after seeing Alien: Romulus —but others were completely accidental, and at least one left him doing a double take.
The clearest link to the Alien-verse is the synths, two major roles played by Elle Fanning, with all the telltale signs of being Weyland-Yutani tech, including gear, ships, and a base stamped with the franchise’s infamous corporate logo. As Trachtenberg explained to EW, there was one connection that wasn’t planned, but was a happy accident. He shared with the outlet:
Cam, we did not realize had come to us from Alien: Earth, and I can’t imagine his first day, because everything’s so secretive, to go from the set of Alien: Earth onto this other movie that he knew was a Predator movie. He shows up, and he’s looking at his wardrobe, and it says Weyland-Yutani. I mean, he must have been like, What is happening right now?
Cameron Brown plays a Drone Synth in Badlands, but previously donned the xenomorph suit for the FX series Alien: Earth FX, available with a Hulu subscription. So while the crossover wasn’t part of some official franchise blueprint, it does add an oddly perfect connective tissue between two mythologies that have been orbiting each other for decades.
Not all the Easter eggs in Badlands were happy accidents. There’s a brief cameo from MU/TH/UR, the iconic AI mainframe from Ridley Scott’s original Alien, but the real curveball came when actor and stunt performer Cameron Brown arrived on set, unknowingly bridging both sides of the iconic sci-fi crossover.
But there are plenty of deliberate nods, too. Trachtenberg confirmed a quick cameo from Prey heroine Naru, and the hulking Back Biter creature from the critically acclaimed animated film Predator: Killer of Killers also makes an appearance. And if the synth eye-roll effect feels familiar, it should, because Trachtenberg borrowed it straight from Alien: Romulus.
In keeping with the franchise’s tradition of layering mythology, Badlands also toys with deeper thematic connections that longtime fans will appreciate. The decision to center the story on a young, outcast Predator named Dek—trying to earn his place among his kind—echoes some of the outsider narratives seen in earlier films like Predators and even Prey.
By pairing Dek with Thia, an android marked by her own displacement and obsolescence, the film quietly mirrors the best of the Alien series’ fascination with artificial intelligence and identity. This unlikely duo of a hunter and machine finds common ground not just in survival, but in agency, giving Badlands a richer emotional core than you might expect from a franchise best known for spine trophies and shoulder cannons. It’s subtle but effective, and fits right in with Trachtenberg’s approach to modernizing the Predator mythos without losing the thrills the series is known for.
Predator: Badlands has landed on the 2025 movie schedule and is now in theaters, so if you’re into deep cuts and clever callbacks, it might be worth watching twice.