'Predator Badlands' leak hints at unexpected twist in story

Predator Badlands surprised fans by officially linking the Predator and Alien worlds through the return of the Weyland-Yutani corporation. 

The connection, spotted in the film’s trailer, showed the company’s logo on spacecraft, computers, and uniforms, hinting at a bigger role in the story.

Director Dan Trachtenberg shared in a featurette called Weyland-Yutani Returns that he wanted to create “an adventure movie about a monster and a robot.” 

He said he naturally thought of Weyland-Yutani, the group known for creating the synthetic robots seen in Alien.

Elle Fanning, who plays Thia, revealed that her character is a Weyland-Yutani synth designed to explore the planet Genna.

“Thia is a Weyland-Yutani synth. Her model knows Genna very, very well,” she explained.

Trachtenberg said Badlands also introduced new types of synthetics, including drone hunters built for combat. 

However, fans also noticed a familiar detail from Alien, a computer system appearing on a ship’s display screen.

Since the 1989 Alien vs Predator comics, both sci-fi universes have shared small crossovers, but Badlands seems to be setting up the strongest connection yet.

The film, which arrives in theaters on November 7, 2025, promises a darker and more thrilling story that ties both franchises together in a way fans have never seen before.