For years, Predator fans watched the franchise struggle to find its identity. After the original 1987 classic, several sequels delivered mixed results, culminating in 2018’s The Predator, widely considered the series’ low point. Many believed the franchise had lost its way.
Enter Dan Trachtenberg.
With Prey, then Predator: Killer of Killers, and now Predator: Badlands, Trachtenberg has not only resurrected the universe — he has elevated it, crafting the strongest run of Predator instalments since the original film. Critics and audiences agree: Predator: Badlands is spectacular.
But as Badlands ends on a cliffhanger and the Yautja species gains new layers of complexity, viewers are asking the same question: Where does the franchise go next?
And thanks to the success of Alien: Earth, the answer is clearer than ever.
A live-action Predator television series would be the franchise’s most exciting and natural evolution — and all the pieces are already in place.
The Franchise’s Expansion Sets Up a Predator TV Universe
Trachtenberg’s recent films have done something no other installment dared to do: expand Yautja culture, hierarchy, and mythology far beyond the simple concept of “alien hunters.”
In Killer of Killers and Badlands, audiences were introduced to:
- The Yautja Codex, an official honor code
- Tribal clans and hierarchical systems
- Internal conflicts among hunters
- Yautja family structures and generational expectations
For the first time, the Predators feel like a fully developed civilization, not just a monster-of-the-week threat.
That richness makes television the ideal medium to explore them further.
Television critic Alana Jeffries says, “Predator films thrive on tension, but a series could thrive on world-building. Trachtenberg has already proven the universe can sustain depth — it just needs more room.”
Why a Live-Action Predator Series Is the Perfect Next Step?
A feature film — even a great one — can only show us glimpses of Yautja life. But Badlands reveals that the species has clans, leaders, elders, warriors, and outcasts. Their society is complex, competitive, and governed by honor.
A TV series would allow the franchise to finally answer long-standing fan questions:
- How do Yautja clans operate day-to-day?
- What political structures exist on Yautja Prime?
- How do young Yautja train for hunts?
- What internal conflicts shape their culture?
A serialized format could follow a clan through multiple generations of hunters. It could explore rival tribes. It could depict Yautja Prime beyond the glimpses fans have seen in comics and games.
Most importantly, it would expand the universe without directly repeating previous film plots.
What Films Have Explored vs. What a TV Series Could Finally Explore?
| Yautja Concept | Explored in Films | Potential for TV Series |
|---|---|---|
| Honor Code | Briefly referenced | Full interpretation of the Yautja Codex |
| Clan Politics | Lightly hinted at | Detailed clan structure and leadership |
| Family Dynamics | Introduced in Badlands | Multi-generational storytelling |
| Home Planet | Barely shown | Cities, wildlife, rituals, training grounds |
| Female Yautja | Never live-action | Central characters and warriors |
| Technology Origins | Not explained | Full backstory of weapon creation |
| Alien Crossovers | Teased | Slow-burn setup for future AVP stories |
A Predator Series Could Finally Introduce Female Yautja
Predator: Badlands ends with perhaps the franchise’s biggest tease to date: the arrival of Dek’s mother.
For decades, female Predators have existed only in books, comics, and fan mythology. They have never appeared in a live-action format.
But Badlands confirms that:
- Yautja have genders
- Roles differ across clans
- Female Yautja may hold power equal to or greater than male hunters
This opens enormous storytelling opportunities. Fans have long speculated that female hunters might be stronger, faster, or more ruthless — and that scarcity or hierarchy keeps them off-world.
A live-action series could:
- Introduce the first female-led Predator hunt
- Explore gender dynamics within clans
- Show whether females rule, rival, or challenge male hunters
- Build new protagonists beyond the traditional hulking warrior archetype
Film writer Jordan Michaels notes, “Introducing female Yautja would be the biggest shake-up the franchise has had since 1987. Only TV has enough room to do it right.”
A Predator Series Could Connect to the Alien Universe Without Overshadowing It
Badlands quietly introduces the Weyland-Yutani Corporation — a staple of the Alien franchise — suggesting that crossovers are no longer off-limits.
But the franchise doesn’t need a full crossover immediately.
A series could use restraint, offering layered world-building rather than repeating the mistakes of the early 2000s AVP films.
Possible slow-burn storytelling arcs include:
- Early Weyland-Yutani encounters with Yautja tech
- Historical Yautja hunts on other planets
- The first recorded Yautja–Xenomorph conflict
- A new interpretation of the species’ shared history
These pieces can build toward a future crossover film without rushing the process.
Potential Story Arcs for a Predator TV Series
| Arc Type | Description | Fan Appeal |
|---|---|---|
| Clan Wars | Rival Yautja clans in conflict over honor or resources | High — expands culture and politics |
| First Hunt Saga | Coming-of-age storyline following young hunters | Very high — character-driven |
| Female Yautja Arc | Introduction of the first on-screen female hunters | Extremely high — long-requested |
| Tech Origins | How the Yautja built plasma casters, ships, cloaking | High — deep lore exploration |
| Early Human Encounters | Yautja visiting Earth pre-history | Medium-high — ties to Prey |
| Alien Teasers | Early hints of Xenomorph interactions | High — crossover anticipation |
Trachtenberg Should Lead the Charge
Whether the next chapter is a series, animated anthology, or another film, one thing is clear: Dan Trachtenberg has become the franchise’s defining creative voice.
His understanding of tension, character, lore, and visual world-building has revitalized the Yautja in a way fans didn’t think possible a decade ago.
A Predator series created or overseen by Trachtenberg could finally:
- Expand the universe
- Explore new species dynamics
- Introduce deeper emotional stakes
- Build long-form storylines
- Connect the franchise to Alien in a meaningful way
After decades of misfires and uneven sequels, the Predator universe has momentum — and it shouldn’t be lost.
A live-action series is the next logical, necessary step.
FAQs
No. Despite multiple films and animated projects, the franchise has never produced a live-action series.
The universe is richer than ever, the fanbase is growing again, and Alien: Earth has proven audiences want franchise TV storytelling.
Not if handled carefully. A show can expand culture and politics without overexplaining every detail.
Not realistically — but he could serve as the creative architect or executive producer overseeing tone and direction.
Not immediately. A series could plant seeds for a smarter, better crossover in the future.
