If you weren’t a die-hard fan of the Predator films, you certainly would be after the San Diego Comic-Con panel. Opening up with a Predator storming the stage scanning the crowd with their heat vision that was projected behind them on the screen for the audience, the Predator spots something zeroing in in panel moderator Kevin Smith who is called up to the stage by the Predator responding, “I don’t speak [Predator] Yautja, but I’m pretty sure he said something about the Jeffrey Epstein files!” before hinting that Dan Trachtenberg of Alien vs Predator works be joining the panel.
Thankfully, the Predator did not rip out Smith’s spine, instead taking his leave. Trachtenberg was joined by Elle Fanning, Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi and VFX artist Alec Gillis.
Along with the panel, the first 15 minutes of Predator Badlands were shown for the San Diego audience. Predator Badlands is the first film in the franchise to be centered on the perspective of the Predator themselves. Following the story of Dek, a Predator considered a runt by his family, is saved from his abusive father by his older brother Kwei, who sends him to the planet Kalisk to hunt a creature even the fearsome father is terrified of. Through the eyes of Dek we see the terror he is subjected to by his father’s demands of near-fatal training. Kwei while initially trying to push Dek to the lofty ideal standards of their culture is spurred into defiance when their father nearly murders Dek promoting the hasty escape resulting in their separation. On Kalisk, Dek finds Thia, a half-destroyed android whom he picks up and takes with him on his hunting quest slinging her onto his back to traverse the deadly planet and return to his family with honor to prove that Kwei’s faith in him isn’t unfounded.
Catch Predator Badlands in theaters November 7th.
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