“Predator: Badlands” director reveals the “Alien” and “Predator” Easter eggs you might have missed
- - “Predator: Badlands” director reveals the “Alien” and “Predator” Easter eggs you might have missed
Lauren HuffNovember 9, 2025 at 2:00 AM
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20th Century Studios
Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as Dek in 'Predator: Badlands'
Although Predator: Badlands is a standalone entry in the Predator cineverse, eagle-eyed fans will notice some nods to previous Predator and Alien shows and films. Director Dan Trachtenberg breaks it down for us.
Badlands is set in the future on a remote alien planet, where Dek, a young Predator (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), outcast from his clan and desperate to prove himself with his first official hunt, finds an unlikely ally in a robot named Thia (Elle Fanning).
Right off the bat, Thia and the other androids, or synths as they're called in the film, provide the most obvious link to the Alien franchise. We learn they were sent to this planet by their makers, the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, which was first introduced in 1979's Alien. The ruthless conglomerate's logo, base, ships, and equipment are featured throughout the film, in addition to the synths themselves.
20th Century Studios
Elle Fanning as a Weyland-Yutani synth in 'Predator: Badlands'
The AI computer mainframe in the Alien movie franchise, MU/TH/UR, referred to as "mother," is also featured in Badlands.
There are more subtle links between the franchises as well, like the casting of Cameron Brown as the Drone Synth in the film. Though you couldn't tell it by looking at him, the stunt performer and actor plays one of the xenomorphs in the FX series, Alien: Earth. This link was completely unintentional, Trachtenberg tells Entertainment Weekly. "Cam, we did not realize had come to us from Alien: Earth, and I can't imagine his first day, because everything's so secretive, to go from the set of Alien: Earth onto this other movie that he knew was a Predator movie," he says. "He shows up, and he's looking at his wardrobe, and it says Weyland-Yutani. I mean, he must have been like, What is happening right now?"
Another more intentional homage involves the Predator prequel film, Prey, which Trachtenberg also directed. "I will say there is a glimpse of Naru from Prey which is visible somewhere in the movie," he teases.
The massive Back Biter creature, which appears at the end of Trachtenberg's 2025 animated film Predator: Killer of Killers, is "somewhere in the movie as well," he adds. "And of course Alien: Romulus had the gag where the synth's eyes roll back and you see the Weyland-Yutani in the whites of the eyes. So we took that as well and ran with it."
FX/Youtube
Cameron Brown in the xenomorph suit on set of 'Alien: Earth'; Cameron Brown
If that wasn't enough, there's even a fun nod to another sci-fi franchise that is neither Alien nor Predator. The film's end credits reveal that the AI computer on the ship belonging to Dek's brother, Kwei, is voiced by brothers Matt and Ross Duffer, who created the Netflix hit Stranger Things.
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As for other links, Trachtenberg hopes that the potential for more sightings will encourage repeat viewings of Badlands. "Yeah, there's some other Easter eggs," he says. "Sometimes it's fun to let the internet discover them."
Predator: Badlands hits theaters on Friday.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
