‘Predator: Badlands’ Comic-Con Panel Shows Off First 15 Minutes, Gives Away Predator Masks

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Disney showcased an immersive, “show, don’t tell” experience for Predator: Badlands at Comic-Con, revealing the gripping opening 15 minutes of the upcoming science fiction adventure to a highly anticipatory audience.

Today marks the addition of a guest appearance by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Glover to the animated Predator movie, starting now. As the panel came to a close, they distributed Predator masks to every attendee, a total of 6,500 people, in the vast Hall H.

The animated Predator film will feature a surprise appearance by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Glover from today onwards. At the end of the panel, they handed out Predator masks to every attendee, which numbered 6,500 people, in the sprawling Hall H.

I’m absolutely thrilled about the upcoming installment of the Predator series! The franchise has been rejuvenated with a fresh jolt of energy, thanks to the electrifying work by filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg. This new movie follows the success of “Predator: Killer of Killers,” the adult animated feature directed by Trachtenberg that was positively received and released on Hulu/Disney+ in June.

For Trachtenberg, experiencing Hall H at Comic-Con was the fulfillment of a long-held dream. As a podcaster, he attended eight consecutive Comic-Cons in the 2000s as a fan. Remarkably, he was present for significant moments in Hall H, being an integral part of the geek community. He witnessed events such as the debut of the first Iron Man trailer in 2007 and the notorious pen stabbing incident in 2010. Moreover, he had the privilege of participating in a panel moderated by Kevin Smith, a filmmaker who played a crucial role in popularizing geek culture and has been an enduring presence at Comic-Con since the 1990s.

As a gamer, I knew attending Comic-Con with a movie would be a significant move, but there was this lingering thought in the back of my mind: “If I go, it has to be something worthwhile.” Boy, did Predator fit the bill! The crowd went wild over the sneak peek, even though some visual effects were still being polished and the score was just a temporary track.

As a gamer, I found myself immersed in a sci-fi tale, where I was an observer of an alien feud between two Predator siblings. The movie opened with them clashing on a distant planet, their unique language translated for our human ears. One, named Dek, was seen as the weak link of his clan and destined for elimination. His elder brother, tasked with this duty, faltered, leading their father – a figure who valued strength above all else – to intervene. In this Shakespearean-like confrontation, Dek was snatched away from the battlefield, propelling me into a story where he must survive and reclaim honor on a hostile planet where every creature seems intent on ending his life.

Elle Fanning, portraying a synthetic character, mentioned that it’s unusual because this is the first time the Predator is depicted as an ally instead of an antagonist. During the film, her character forms an alliance with the Predator, reminiscent of the iconic scenes in “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back” where characters like Chewbacca and C-3PO shared moments with their companions. Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi plays the Predator in this movie.

The two performers shared stories with the audience about their collaboration on the project, spending a significant amount of time in real environments and away from sound stages, specifically in beautiful New Zealand landscapes.

More often than not, I found myself immersed in the wilderness,” I’d say. “[We, the actors], bound together, navigated treacherous trenches teeming with slippery eels.

Additionally, Alec Gillis, a FX artist who learned under the tutelage of groundbreaking figure Stan Winston and collaborated with Trachtenberg on every one of his Predator films, was also present. Gillis and Trachtenberg discussed how for the first time in the Predator series, the creature’s face was not physical, a task that is usually quite difficult due to the need for intricate emotional expressions, as this alien served as the lead character.

Trachtenberg clarified that this time around, they aimed to explore deeply emotional aspects, and to achieve this goal, they designed a distinctive system,” he said. A key aspect of this involved retaining functional costumes while incorporating digital magic by Weta Workshop into the characters’ faces.

Predator: Badlands will land in theatres Nov. 7.

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2025-07-26 05:24