The upcoming movie Predator: Badlands is set to make franchise history. For the first time since the original film in 1987, a Predator movie will carry a PG-13 rating in the United States, moving away from the series’ long-standing R-rated tradition. This decision has sparked a significant conversation among fans about the future of the famously violent series.
Why Predator: Badlands Is Rated PG-13
The shift in rating is a deliberate creative choice by the film’s producers. Ben Rosenblatt, a producer on the film, explained the reasoning during a set visit. The goal is to create a movie that feels as intense as an R-rated film but can reach a wider audience.
“We’ll see where it ends up, but our hope for it is that it can be a PG-13 that feels like an R,” Rosenblatt said. “That’s kind of our hope. And really, what that’s about is just being able to broaden out the audience for a movie like this.”
This approach is possible because of the movie’s unique story. Predator: Badlands does not feature human characters being hunted. Instead, the action focuses on the Yautja (the Predators) fighting synthetic androids and other monsters. Without human victims, the graphic red blood that typically leads to an R-rating is absent.
“We don’t have any humans in the movie and so we don’t have any human red blood,” Rosenblatt continued. “So we’re hoping that’s gonna play to our advantage. We’re going to go as hard as we possibly can within those constraints, and we think we’ll be able to do some pretty awesomely gruesome stuff. But in colours other than red.”
This means audiences can expect to see plenty of the Predator’s iconic green blood and the milky fluid of synthetic beings, maintaining violent action within the PG-13 guidelines.
A Look Back at the Predator Franchise’s R-Rated History
The Predator franchise has been built on R-rated intensity since the beginning. The original 1987 film, Predator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, was known for its graphic violence, including skinned corpses and intense combat gore. This set the standard for the films that followed.
Every subsequent live-action movie, including Predator 2, Predators, The Predator, and the most recent prequel, Prey, has carried an R rating. The last time a Predator film was rated PG-13 was in 2004 with Alien vs. Predator, a crossover film that tempered its violence to achieve the less restrictive rating. This makes Predator: Badlands the first core Predator story in 38 years to step away from an R rating.
How Fans Are Reacting to the News
The announcement of the PG-13 rating has generated a mixed response from the fan community. On one side, some longtime followers of the franchise have expressed concern that this could soften the dark and brutal tone they love.
One fan on Reddit shared their worry, stating, “I’m just concerned that they’ll push my favorite franchise towards the Jurassic World direction. Something that was meant to be dark and brutal turned goofy.” Another added, “Predator is an adult franchise, it should be shown as such.”
However, other fans are more optimistic, especially given director Dan Trachtenberg’s successful work on the critically acclaimed R-rated film Prey. Many are willing to trust his creative vision.
One commenter pointed out, “As others have pointed out, knowing that the violence is largely going to be against aliens, monsters, and androids, the lack of an R rating could very well indicate a lack of literal gore more than a lack of intensity… I’m 100% hyped. For me, the bold gambit of doing a Predator movie entirely about creatures and puppets and robots is a real treat.”
What We Know About the Movie’s Story
Predator: Badlands is directed by Dan Trachtenberg, who helmed Prey, and stars Elle Fanning. The film is set on a dangerous “Death Planet” called Kalisk. The story follows a Predator named Dek, who is described as an underdog or “runt” within the Yautja clan. He travels to this planet to prove his worth as a hunter.
The film will feature the sinister Weyland-Yutani corporation, a familiar name from the Alien franchise, but the director has confirmed that the Xenomorph alien will not appear. The movie is scheduled for a wide theatrical release on November 7, 2025.
Also Read: Ultimate Guide to Watching All Predator Movies in Order Before Predator: Badlands Releases
