Predator: Badlands is incredibly exciting, but one of the upcoming movie’s most exciting elements comes from the fact that it is fixing a major mistake that hurt Prey. The Predator franchise has done a major course correction in recent years, with Prey kicking off a modern era of exciting sequels for the decades-old alien franchise. Prey took the classic alien monster and put it in the Great Plains of the 1700s, showing the potential that Predators had with all kinds of interesting environments. Predator: Badlands is continuing this trend, but its release proves that it will be even grander.

Predator: Badlands is not a sequel to Prey, with it instead following entirely new characters in an entirely new time. The film is set on an alien planet, with it following a Predator protagonist named Dek as he teams up with a Weyland-Yutani android named Thia. The first trailer for Predator: Badlands shows off all kinds of unique alien foes as well as several Predator antagonists, setting up a more epic Predator story than any that has been told before.

Predator: Badlands Has A Theatrical Release After Prey Went Straight To Streaming

Streaming Definitely Hurt Prey

One of the most exciting parts of Predator: Badlands is that it will be getting a theatrical release, which is a major positive after Prey went straight to streaming. Prey was released directly to Hulu, with Disney deciding to skip its theatrical release. While Prey was a great film, its release directly on streaming definitely weakened its chance at having a cultural impact. This is something that has been proven time and time again, with theatrical movies lingering in the public consciousness much longer.

On top of that, the epic scale of Prey meant that a big screen would have been more fitting for the movie. Prey is a large-scale action movie, and it would have benefited from the theatrical environment. While there is still a lot to love about Prey, it is undeniable that skipping its theatrical release was a major missed opportunity.

Being Able To Watch Predator: Badlands In Theaters Makes It Even More Exciting

Showing How Epic It Is

Predator: Badlands is exciting enough, but the fact that it will be getting released in theaters makes it even more exciting. The first trailer for Predator: Badlands makes it clear that it was built for theaters, with it featuring all kinds of wide sH๏τs that show off the grand scale of the alien planet. The action-filled trailer shows that the movie will be big and loud, and having viewers watch it at home on small screens for the first time just wouldn’t feel appropriate.

Predator: Badlands will also be getting released in IMAX theaters, making its theatrical release even more special. The large screen and improved sound of IMAX theaters will double down on the spectacle of Predator: Badlands, proving just how epic a modern Predator movie can be.

Predator: Badlands Is A Great Excuse For Disney To Release Prey In Theaters

It’ll Help Prey, Predator: Badlands, & Prey 2

Now that Predator: Badlands is getting a theatrical release, the film acts as the perfect excuse for Disney to finally release Prey in theaters. Giving Prey a theatrical release would help to put more eyes on the film, as many may have missed it due to its straight-to-streaming release. Predator fans who don’t have Hulu would also have a chance to see the film, putting Prey in front of a bigger audience.

Re-releasing Prey would also help to build hype for Predator: Badlands and any future Predator movies. If Prey 2 ever gets made, it would undoubtedly be released in theaters if Predator: Badlands is a success. Thus, releasing Prey in theaters would allow Disney to see how successful the film is, showing that there may be interest in Prey 2. There are all kinds of benefits to re-releasing the prequel in theaters, both for the film itself and for Predator: Badlands.