Predator: Killer Of Killers Has A Valuable Lesson For Another Classic Sci-Fi Horror Franchise

2025 really is a great year for "Predator" fans. Not only are we set to see another live-action instalment from Dan Trachtenberg with "Predator: Badlands" but the "Prey" director has casually dropped an animated film that's unquestionably one for the history books (co-directed by Joshua Wassung). 

Throwing less of a curveball and more of a killer frisbee at the franchise, "Predator: Killer of Killers" tees up a compelling anthology to begin with, only for it to surprise us in its final act and reveal we've been watching one story that spans centuries. Breaking through the language barrier and anything else that the Yautja throw at them, our hunted heroes unite in a final battle that is as awesome as everything we've seen in the time-shifting tale so far, and sets the bar not just for the franchise that started all the way back in 1987, but another breed of space beasts that the Predators have had run-ins with in the past.

Without even trying and amidst the sword, shield, and bullet-dodging brilliance of his anarchic animated entry, the filmmakers have laid down a blueprint that doesn't need to just be revisited in the "Predator" franchise. Instead, there's a dark corner of cinematic space that if given the right stories to tell, could set up what's been all but confirmed following a recent trailer. We need an animated "Alien" movie and it needs to end with the Predators and our heroes taking on the Xenomorphs in the future.

Convoluted as it might be, the history of the Xenomorph is dense. An animated take like "Killer of Killers" could not only flesh out the world just like this one, but also push the boundaries in the creature's brutality the same way that's been done for the Predator race.

Trachtenberg's latest endeavour easily sits as one of the goriest entries in the entire franchise thanks to the use of animation in its storytelling. Just imagine if the same practises were implemented into the "Alien" universe and how flat out crazy and grim things could get. It could lead to an even more extravagant job of bringing the creature into new backdrops we've never seen before. More importantly, let's not forget that unlike the Predator, the Xenomorph's biomechanical design was bred from H.R. Giger's artwork, so an animated iteration could bring the lifeform closer to the original source than it has ever been. It could also allow an even easier avenue for the creature to have a long-awaited rematch with the Predators in the future.

Such an expectation isn't unimaginable, either. While the previous crossover efforts might be considered as some of the worst entries in both respective franchises, giving us animated splashes of blood in a brand new rematch could tee up a live-action entry and maybe even revisit one era of the "Alien" franchise that still stands as its most divisive.

After the release of the "Predator: Badlands" trailer, it feels all but confirmed that the Yautja race is going to clash with the lifeform that bleeds acid, thanks to the tease of Elle Fanning's Weyland Yutani-created character getting a hard reset. The question is which future project will it be in? Given how things ended with "Killer of Killers," who's to say that Kenji (Louis Ozawa) and Torres (Rick Gonzalez) are tracked down by their alien overlords and thrown into face off against something equally as terrifying like a domesticated (yeah, right) Xenomorph? Having the crossover animated before things get real would work as a wonderful taster. Then again, there's no telling if "Badlands" comes with something hidden on board finally winding up the dream "Alien vs. Predator" film that Fede Álvarez proposed after the release of "Alien: Romulus" (via GamesRadar+).

There's no limit to the possibilities available to either side of the cinematic space war, but in the case of the "Alien" series, specifically, an animated avenue could also lead to retreading over old territory, as well. What if rather than miss out on the final chapter of the "Prometheus" saga that met such a mixed reception, it ends on a bombastic finale with "Killer of Killers" methods, instead? The same could be said for that "Alien 3" redux from Neill Blomkamp that sat stewing for years before it all fell apart. Ultimately, thanks to the brilliant work of Trachtenberg that's continuing to thrive, it isn't game over for either franchise — the hunt might only be just beginning.