Since Prey, the Predator franchise has returned to true glory. Following the negative reception of Shane Black’s The Predator, director Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane) was brought in to resurrect everything with Prey, which was universally beloved both as a terrific installment in the franchise and as a fantastic example of Indigenous representation done right! Now, in a terrific decision, 20th Century Studios is officially bringing Trachtenberg back for a brand new adventure in the Predator universe: Predator: Badlands!

With Predator: Badlands, Trachtenberg is taking the franchise from the past to the future! In fact, Badlands takes it quite far into the future, that we’re actually going to be following a Predator alien as the main protagonist of the film for the very first time. The story follows this Predator outcast (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), as he teams up with an ally (Elle Fanning) to trek across the vast wasteland of a distant planet, in search of the ultimate adversary!

While the trailer obviously looks good, it’s important to note the importance of Trachtenberg’s contributions to the franchise’s diversity, both from a POC and a female empowerment level. When we think about it, Prey was a terrific example of both, featuring an all-Indigenous cast playing all-Indigenous characters, but with Amber Midthunder’s badass Naru being our guide through the most terrifying adventure imaginable. Here with Badlands, the lead role is going to Schuster-Koloamatangi, a Samoan-Tongan actor, breaking ground by playing the first Predator protagonist in this franchise. And as far as terrific female representation goes, allowing Fanning the chance to play a badass character in this universe among her already impressive list of wonderful performances, is definitely signaling at Ellen Ripley-levels of potential…with a twist of course.

The other thing that I very much loved about Prey, and the vibe that I’m getting from Badlands is that Trachtenberg lets this representation play out without being overt about it. None of it feels pandering. With Prey, this representation was essential for the story and the setting. With Badlands, the focus is on an outcast character. He tends to think of intelligent ways to insert these sorts of triumphs for POCs without having to pander or rub it in our face. It’s always approached with subtlety, and narrative-driven decisions.

Though all of this remains to be seen, as Badlands will still be coming towards the end of the year, with Trachtenberg in the director’s chair, and an astonishingly fun trailer, we simply cannot wait to see how this next adventure into the Predator universe will play out!

We’ll find out for sure on November 7 when Predator: Badlands hits theaters!

Also, check out the new poster for the film right here and maybe look out for some Alien Easter eggs in the trailer: