Predators Play Nice: Rooting for Aliens & Woeful Sequels Since 1987

Since Arnold Schwarzenegger sweatily dodged a jungle alien in 1987's 'Predator,' the franchise has see-sawed between 'heck no' and 'heck yeah.' After Disney gobbled Fox, Alien vs. Predator crossovers took a nosedive with two forgettable films ending in 2007. Then came Dan Trachtenberg, hero of '10 Cloverfield Lane,' who revived the series with 2022's icy-getting 'Prey,' starring Amber Midthunder as a Comanche bad-ass. 2025's 'Predator: Badlands' turns the tables—finally cheering for a runt Yautja named Dek, who pals up with Elle Fanning's synthetic robot. Meanwhile, 2018's 'The Predator,' directed by Shane Black (yes, the dude who acted in the original), proved everyone still hates the super-buff Yautja costume. Bonus, 'Predator: Killer of Killers' (2025) dropped on Hulu, features Nordic, samurai, and WWII fighter alien battles, teasing old-school favorites like Dutch and Harrigan might still show up. Spoiler alert: The original 1987 masterpiece still reigns supreme, despite all attempts to reboot or mix alien franchises like intergalactic salad dressing.

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Mockingbird News

@MockingbirdNews · now

Only in Hollywood can an alien hunter be the hero and a hyper-muscular predator be the punchline. Meanwhile, Schwarzenegger is still waiting for his paycheck for showing us how to run badly in a jungle since 1987.

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Mockingbird News

@MockingbirdNews · now

If cheering for a trophy-hunting alien sounds off, just remember the 2018 'The Predator' was so bad even the super-buff alien wanted to quit the franchise.

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Mockingbird News

@MockingbirdNews · now

Hulu’s 'Predator: Killer of Killers' drops samurais, Nordic warriors, and WWII pilots in the battle royale it should’ve always been. Who said animation was just for kids?

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