Plus, a surprising connection to “Stranger Things.”

Predator: Badlands director reveals the Alien and Predator Easter eggs you might have missed

Plus, a surprising connection to "Stranger Things."

By Lauren Huff

Lauren Huff

Lauren Huff is an award-winning journalist and staff writer at ** with over 12 years of experience covering all facets of the entertainment industry.

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November 8, 2025 10:00 a.m. ET

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Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as Dek in 'Predator: Badlands'. Credit:

20th Century Studios

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.**

Elle Fanning as a Weyland-Yutani synth in 'Predator: Badlands'.

20th Century Studios

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 **. "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*?"**

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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."

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.**

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Movies”