3 Alien and Predator References You Haven’t Seen, According to the Director

Predator : Badlands was released in theaters this November 5. Neither a sequel nor a prequel, the film still disseminates some discreet references to its elders.

Have you seen them? The new release of a big franchise is now, we know the song, the opportunity to find the easter eggs scattered here and there. The practice has more than one advantage: it makes the spectator active during the session, adding the pleasure of research to that of the film; flatters the egos of fans who find; and possibly add a layer of lore to the feature film, placing it in the broader context of the saga in which it is part. Predator Badlands by Dan Trachtenberg was no exception to the rule.

If we recently spoke to you about a nod to Stranger Things In Predator Badlandsthe majority of the references to be unearthed were of course linked to IPs sisters of 20th Century Studios, Alien et Predator. For example: the omnipresence of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation (company organizing the space teams of the films Alien) – through its logo on the base, the ships and even the robot played by Elle Fanning; or the central AI MU/TH/UR 6000 (called mother) also already present on the Nostromo. But other references, three in particular, were much more difficult to ferret out.

IN SPACE, NO ONE WILL HEAR YOU FIND

The first was not premeditated, according to Dan Trachtenberg. It’s about a comedian and stuntman, Cameron Brownwho embodied both the Synths drone in Predator Badlands and a xenomorph in the series Alien: Earth. An involuntary link but a link all the same, which made the director laugh, as he confided to Entertainment Weekly :

“We didn’t know that Cam (Cameron Brown, ndlr) came from Alien: Earth. And I imagine his first day (…): he arrives, looks at his costume and sees the Weyland-Yutani inscription. He must have said to himself: “But what’s going on again? » »

The second easter egg is much more calculated, since it refers to a previous work by the filmmaker, Prey. Trachtenberg preferred not to reveal everything for those who were not paying enough attention:

“I will just say that we see Naru from Prey somewhere in the film. »

Finally, fans of the second Predator the Trachtenberg, Killer of Killersundoubtedly remember the Back Biter, the monster that appears at the end of the animated film. Here again, the director teased his presence, somewhere in the new feature film. Note that its design is perhaps a little different when moving from the cartoon to the live action (admittedly, the monsters are in CGI).

We have been warned. The work is now pre-finished, those who have not yet seen the feature film in theaters, or wish to see it again, can go there armed with this knowledge to spot, in their best imitation of the meme Pointing Leonardo DiCaprioTHE easter eggs mentioned above. Even stronger: perhaps some will flush out others? – the filmmaker assured that this list of three was far from exhaustive. Predator : Badlands has been in cinemas since November 5, 2025.