Predator: Badlands nearly featured major franchise cameos.
According to director Dan Trachtenberg, early drafts of Predator: Badlands included temporary VFX appearances from Dutch (originally played by Arnold Schwarzenegger), the Xenomorph from the Alien franchise, and the Backbiter creature from Killer of Killers.
While Naru’s appearance connected the film to Prey, she was originally part of a much bigger homage to the Predator universe’s history. The original scene was longer and dialogue-heavy. Trachtenberg says the sequence included an extended “Pick Your Planet” exchange and multiple holographic cameos in the background.
The creative idea stayed the same. Even though many parts were cut, the team still wanted to honor the famous characters the Predators have fought in the past. In the final version, the references are more subtle. Instead of clear cameos, the movie shows blurred background images as a quiet tribute to the franchise’s history.
In a recent interview with ScreenRant, Trachtenberg said, “The thing we haven’t gotten in all the great sci-fi we’ve enjoyed over the years is that it’s the creatures — it’s their movie, that’s it, no humans. And then I had other cool thoughts for what Naru could do in the future and was like, ‘Oh, that would be awesome for that.’ But I could feel it. There’s definitely a version where you find Naru on that planet, and she has to survive, and they meet — I could see that version and didn’t want to spend all the chips right away.”
Naru’s cameo appears early in Predator: Badlands, when Dek and his brother Kwei review planets for his first hunt. A hologram briefly shows Earth, including a digital image of Naru in her hunting stance with her bow ready.
Trachtenberg said he wants to save some ideas for Naru’s proper return, which is good news for fans hoping for Prey 2. After the 2022 film’s success on Hulu, he confirmed interest in a sequel but wants to do something new.
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg and written by Patrick Aison from a story by Trachtenberg and Aison, the newest entry in the Predator franchise is set in the future on a remote planet, where a young Predator—outcast from his clan—finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Elle Fanning) and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.
Predator: Badlands Cast Details:
- Elle Fanning as
- Thia, a damaged Weyland-Yutani Corporation synthetic who partners with Dek.
- Tessa, a Weyland-Yutani synthetic and Thia’s sister, who opposes her and Dek.
- Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as
- Dek, a young Predator outcast for being a runt.
- The voice of Njohrr / Apex Predator / Father.
- Reuben de Jong as Njohrr / Apex Predator / Father, Dek and Kwei’s father and leader of the Clan, who seeks Dek’s death.
- Mike Homik as Kwei, Dek’s older brother who helps him prepare for his first hunt.
- Stefan Grube as the voice of Kwei.
- Rohinal Narayan as Bud, a creature native to the planet Genna.
- Cameron Brown as Smyth, a Weyland-Yutani drone synthetic.
20th Century Studios released Predator: Badlands theatrically in the United States on November 7, 2025.
