‘Predator: Badlands’ Director Reveals Whether Film Takes Place in the Same Universe as ‘Alien: Earth’

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The new movie, Predator: Badlands, just hit theaters and expands the story in a way that connects to the Alien franchise, which began in 1979 with Ridley Scott’s original film. While previous Alien vs. Predator movies showed the two species battling, director Dan Trachtenberg is taking a more subtle approach to linking the two worlds. The trailer hinted at the continued presence of Weyland-Yutani, the powerful and often villainous corporation from the Alien universe known for its advanced robotics. Now, Trachtenberg has confirmed a connection between Predator: Badlands and the upcoming 2025 TV series Alien: Earth, a fresh take on the Alien story that has garnered both praise and criticism.

In a recent interview with Cinema Blend, Dan Trachtenberg discussed how his new film ties into the storylines of Alien: Earth and Alien: Romulus. He clarified that, due to the differing timelines, there’s no immediate link to the TV show. However, he suggested that Alien: Earth established enough groundwork to potentially allow for a crossover event in the future.

Noah contacted us after seeing our trailer and was surprised we had a connection to Weyland-Yutani. He shared updates on their ‘Alien: Earth’ series, and I was really impressed. I quickly reassured him that our projects were very different and wouldn’t overlap. Because our universes are so distinct, there isn’t much need for direct collaboration right now, but I’m definitely open to the possibility of future connections, shared ideas, or potential inclusion of our work in theirs if they’re interested.

The Link Between ‘Predator: Badlands’ and ‘Alien: Romulus’


20th Century Studios

As a big fan of both franchises, I found it interesting that the new Predator movie, while not directly connected to the Alien universe, actually borrowed a little something from Fede Álvarez’s Alien: Romulus. Director Trachtenberg mentioned it’s a subtle detail – the kind of thing you might not even notice on your first viewing, but could pick up on if you watch it again.

The 2024 film Alien: Romulus is set in 2142, fitting chronologically between the first Alien movie and Aliens. It’s set far before the events of Predator: Badlands and shows a different stage in the history of the Weyland-Yutani corporation. Despite these differences, director Fede Álvarez included a specific technological detail from Predator: Badlands in Romulus.

Fede Álvarez and I are friends, so it’s funny that I didn’t know much about his film, Romulus, when we began working on Badlands. I also hadn’t heard of Alien: Earth at all. I intentionally set Badlands far in the future to avoid overlapping with any existing stories. I didn’t realize Romulus actually took place in the past, fitting between other films in the franchise.

I saw an early version of Romulus, and then the whole team watched it together while we were filming in New Zealand. The way the character’s eyes moved – specifically the ‘W’ shape in the whites when they rolled back – immediately stood out. We knew we had to include that detail in our film, and there were plenty of opportunities to do so. I was really excited to be able to use it.

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2025-11-07 17:03