The Predator: Badlands trailer doesn’t just promise another hunt — it plants the seeds for something larger. Embedded in its imagery is the unmistakable Weyland-Yutani insignia, etched into the android’s eyes and stamped across heavy industrial machinery. The logo is a deliberate signal that the two franchises are circling back toward each other, and maybe, finally, toward an Alien versus Predator movie that actually works. The notion of Predator and Alien clashing isn’t new. Ever since 1989’s Aliens vs. Predator comic book crossover, fans have dreamed of seeing the galaxy’s most cunning hunters face off against the deadliest lifeform in science fiction.
Two theatrical attempts — 2004’s Alien vs. Predator and 2007’s Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem — delivered spectacle but fell short of the potential, prioritizing mash-up thrills over atmosphere, horror, and smart world-building. For years, the crossover has felt more like a novelty than a serious extension of the franchise. But Badlands suggests the tide may finally be turning, and the pieces are sliding into place for a confrontation that feels earned.
The Weyland-Yutani Logo Changes Everything
Weyland-Yutani isn’t just a background reference — it’s the heartbeat of the Alien universe. The “Company” has been the shadowy hand behind nearly every catastrophic encounter with Xenomorphs, sending crews to investigate derelict ships in Alien, funding colonization efforts in Aliens, and commissioning questionable experiments in Alien: Resurrection and Alien: Earth. They represent corporate greed at its most chilling, endlessly willing to sacrifice human lives for a shot at weaponizing alien biology. By stamping its insignia onto Badlands, the studio has cracked open the door to shared continuity in the modern era. The android Thia (Elle Fanning) shown in the trailer literally carries Weyland-Yutani branding in her eyes, a chilling metaphor for corporate surveillance and ownership. Construction equipment bearing the same logo suggests the Company isn’t just aware of Yautja hunting grounds — they’re operating inside them. This is where the crossover potential becomes exciting. If Weyland-Yutani is meddling in Predator territory, it isn’t a stretch to imagine they could stumble upon or even deliberately acquire Xenomorph specimens in the process.
This is a key distinction from previous AVP attempts. Those films largely treated the crossover as a novelty, dropping both species into contrived battle scenarios. Badlands hints at a more natural intersection. Rather than asking fans to suspend disbelief, it implies that the Predator and Alien worlds have been colliding behind the scenes all along, hidden by the same corporate greed that has driven so much of the Alien saga.
Fede Álvarez Already Had a Blueprint for a Better ‘AVP’
The potential synergy between Badlands and Fede Álvarez’s creative philosophy is impossible to ignore. While promoting Alien: Romulus following a Collider exclusive screening of the film, Álvarez articulated how he’d design the ultimate crossover: by not telling audiences they’re watching an AVP film at all:
“The best AVP will be the one that you don’t know is AVP until the other guy shows up. You think you’re watching a Predator movie, and then they land in some place and there are creatures, and fucking hell, it’s a Xenomorph. That would get me. ‘Fuck yeah!’ You’d go crazy. Or vice versa… Once you put it in the title, it’s like, ‘Spoiler alert.’”
Álvarez is right. The central flaw of earlier crossovers was their marketing. By shouting “Alien vs. Predator” from the rooftops, the films guaranteed audiences would never feel the shock of discovery. What should have been a pulse-pounding reveal became a box-office gimmick. The concept lost its teeth before the opening credits even rolled. Álvarez’s suggestion flips that formula. Imagine a Predator film that unfolds like Predator 2 or Prey, with hunters stalking new human prey on a dangerous frontier. Just when audiences think they understand the rules, a Xenomorph erupts from the shadows, changing the stakes instantly. Conversely, picture an Alien film building its slow-burn terror, only for a cloaked Yautja to materialize mid-hunt, recontextualizing everything.
That’s the power of restraint. It’s how Alien built its legacy, showing almost nothing of the creature until the terror was unavoidable, and how Predator held back the reveal of its hunter until the final act. Álvarez’s blueprint argues that AVP can reclaim that power, provided the studios are willing to gamble on secrecy in an era when marketing usually spoils the spectacle.
Why ‘Badlands’ Could Be the Start of Something Bigger
A Xenomorph and Yautja facing off in ‘Alien vs. Predator’.Credit: Image via 20th Century Studios
This is why Badlands feels so significant. It’s already gesturing toward Álvarez’s philosophy without saying a word. The inclusion of Weyland-Yutani isn’t accompanied by a press release announcing an AVP crossover, nor does the trailer lean on Xenomorph imagery. Instead, the references lurk in plain sight, waiting for sharp-eyed viewers to notice. That’s exactly the type of narrative patience Álvarez believes is essential to making AVP work. More importantly, it shows that the creative teams behind these franchises are finally comfortable weaving them together. The Predator films have historically existed apart from the corporate nightmares of Alien, instead focusing on survivalist hunts in jungles, cities, or colonial frontiers. By slipping Weyland-Yutani into Badlands, the franchise is bridging that divide, pulling humanity’s deadliest corporation into contact with its deadliest hunters. The implication is clear: if the Company is involved, Xenomorphs aren’t far behind.
This approach also gives both franchises room to breathe. Alien: Romulus proved there’s still a hunger for a pure, stripped-down Alien story. Prey showed that Predator can thrive in intimate, period-specific settings. Neither franchise needs AVP to function — and that’s exactly why now might be the perfect moment to try again. By letting each world stand tall on its own while planting crossover seeds in the margins, the studios can build anticipation without cannibalizing either brand.
If and when a new Alien vs. Predator movie emerges, it should feel like the culmination of years of storytelling rather than a shortcut. Badlands may not be marketed as the first step in that plan, but its Weyland-Yutani breadcrumbs suggest someone behind the scenes is thinking long-term. And with Álvarez openly championing a secretive, surprise-first approach, the creative philosophy and the narrative building blocks may finally be aligned. For fans, that means hope. Hope that AVP can transcend its reputation as a guilty pleasure and become the terrifying, awe-inspiring showdown it always promised to be. Hope that the Company’s greed, the Predator’s pride, and the Xenomorph’s instincts can collide in a story that honors what made each creature iconic. The key, as Badlands reminds us, is patience. Let the audience stumble into the nightmare without warning, and the next great monster movie might already be waiting in the shadows.
Release Date
November 7, 2025
Director
Dan Trachtenberg
Writers
Dan Trachtenberg, Patrick Aison, John Thomas, Jim Thomas
Franchise(s)
Predator