Predator: Badlands breaks major franchise record - becomes first film in 38 years to get a PG-13 rating

Predator: Badlands is the seventh entry in the Predator franchise and is a follow-up to Predator: Killer of Killers (2025). The science fiction action flick is slated to be released by 20th Century Studios on November 7, 2025.

Here is the official synopsis as per Letterboxd:

"Cast out from his clan, a young Predator finds an unlikely ally in a damaged android and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary."

Ahead of its release, the film has broken a record within the franchise by receiving a PG-13 rating. Let us get into the details.

Predator: Badlands gets a PG-13 rating

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Predator: Badlands has been given a PG-13 rating by the Motion Picture Association. Ruling out an R-rating entails that the film won't feature blood of human beings, cuss words, nudity, or s*xual imagery.

Therefore, Predator: Badlands broke a major franchise record by becoming the first title to receive a PG-13 rating in nearly 40 years. It is worth noting that Alien vs Predator (2004) had also received the same rating. But it was a crossover and not a direct installment.

The film is helmed by Dan Trachtenberg, who has also directed two other entries in the franchise, Prey (2022) and Predator: Killer of Killers. The screenplay is penned by Patrick Aison, who also co-wrote the story with Trachtenberg. It is produced by Trachtenberg, John Davis, Ben Rosenblatt, Brent O'Connor, and Marc Toberoff. The film features Elle Fanning as Thia/Tessa, while Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi is portraying the titular role of the Predator Dek.

In an interview with Empire, Trachtenberg spoke about the film.

"You immediately think: ‘Prey 2 but with sequels, people sometimes get so caught up going, ‘This could happen next,’ they never stop to think, ‘Should it happen next?’ Prey was special because it was this big idea that hadn’t existed before. I wanted the next thing to be that, too.”

He further revealed its genre,

“In general, I’m always looking for: what could happen only in this movie? [It is] a kind of buddy-comedy. Prey was a solo survival tale; this is a relationship story.”

The year was 1987 when John McTiernan's Predator kick-started this franchise. The film, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, was a critical and commercial success. It was followed by several installments and crossovers that were released over the years, with different directors helming the projects.

Predator: Badlands will release in the theatres on November 7, 2025.