Hulu Is Dropping This Near-Perfect 107-Minute Franchise-Saving Sci-Fi Epic Next Week

Few sci-fi franchises have had as much staying power over the years as Predator and Alien, which first kicked off in the late 70s and 80s with new installments coming out fairly regularly. There have been brief moments where the franchises have crossed over, but never in a way that felt like a true event film worthy of each’s namesake. The Alien franchise, which was first kicked off by Ridley Scott, has a bit more history, but Predator has the latest sleeper hit that may have just saved the franchise.

Near the end of last year, 20th Century Studios finally delivered the long-awaited Predator: Badlands to theaters. The film stars Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as Dek, a young, new Predator eager to prove himself, who finds a companion in Elle Fanning’s Thia. Predator: Badlands is rated PG-13, a decision many fans were unhappy with when it was announced, but the film still proved to deliver on all the exhilarating action fans have come to expect without needing an R-rating. Predator: Badlands earned strong scores of 86% from critics and 95% from audiences on the aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, and the film grossed over $180 million at the box office against a $100 million budget.

Predator: Badlands arrived on VOD platforms like Prime Video not long ago, where it’s been one of the most popular purchases for weeks now. However, Hulu has finally announced that it will begin streaming next week on February 12. The massive sci-fi film is expected to be the streamer’s first big smash success story of 2026. The Duffer Brothers, creators of Stranger Things, also have small roles in the film as Kwei’s Ship Computer.

Are They Working on Another Predator Movie?

Predator: Badlands was directed by Dan Trachtenberg, who also directed the 2022 breakout hit for the franchise, Prey. He returned earlier last year to direct the animated hit, Predator: Killer of Killers, and he’s confirmed that he’s working on another top-secret Predator film. Both Trachtenberg and Alien: Romulus director Fede Alvarez have expressed interest in working on an Alien vs. Predator movie, which has the potential to be a massive blockbuster with the right creative minds involved. Still, it’s entirely unclear at this time when the next Predator movie is coming out, and what it will be about.

Be sure to watch Predator: Badlands when it arrives on Hulu on February 12, and stay tuned to Collider for more streaming updates.