The Predator franchise has evolved from a single jungle survival story into a multi‑film universe spanning sequels, prequels, animation and upcoming sci‑fi epics.
Here is a fully punctuated, reader‑friendly guide to every Predator film so far, ready to pair with my Cinema Awards Archive YouTube breakdown.
It is a 1987 American science fiction action horror film directed by John McTiernan and written by brothers Jim and John Thomas.
Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as Dutch Schaefer, the leader of an elite paramilitary rescue team on a mission to save hostages in guerrilla‑held territory in a Central American rainforest, who encounter the deadly Predator (Kevin Peter Hall), a skilled, technologically advanced extraterrestrial who stalks and hunts them down.
Predator was written in 1984 with the working title Hunter. Filming ran from March to June 1986 with creature effects devised by Stan Winston and a budget of around 15 million dollars.
Released on June 12th 1987, Predator was number 1 at the U.S. box office in its opening weekend with a gross of 12 million dollars and ranked 12th in the domestic market for the calendar year 1987.
The success of Predator launched a media franchise of films, novels, comic books, video games and toys, and it ultimately spawned six additional films.
It is a 1990 American science fiction action film directed by Stephen Hopkins.
It is the second film of the Predator franchise, with Kevin Peter Hall reprising his role as the Predator.
Set ten years after the events of the first film, in Los Angeles, Predator 2 focuses on a disgruntled police officer and his allies battling a malevolent and technologically advanced extraterrestrial known as the Predator.
Released on November 21st 1990, it was number 4 at the U.S. box office in its opening weekend, with a gross of over 8 million dollars.
The film grossed a total of about 57 million dollars worldwide (roughly 30 million of which came from the United States), making it the lowest‑grossing film in the Predator franchise.
It is a 2010 American science fiction action film directed by Nimród Antal.
A standalone sequel to Predator 2 (1990), it serves as the third installment and fifth overall entry, including the crossover movies, in the Predator franchise.
The film follows a group of proficient killers who have been abducted and placed on a planet that acts as a game preserve for two warring tribes of extraterrestrial Predators, forcing them to fight for survival and search for a way back to Earth.
It was released by 20th Century Fox in the United States on July 9th 2010 and grossed around 127 million dollars worldwide.
Predators received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for the action but criticism aimed at its thinly written characters.
A fourth film, titled The Predator, was released in 2018 and a prequel, Prey, followed in 2022.
It is a 2018 American science fiction action film directed by Shane Black, who co‑wrote the script with Fred Dekker.
It is the fourth installment in the Predator franchise and sixth overall when the crossover movies are included.
Black had a supporting role in the original film, while producer John Davis returned from the first three installments.
The story follows a group of PTSD‑afflicted soldiers and a scientist who must team up to fight off an invading pair of Predators and uncover their plans for mankind.
It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6th 2018 and was theatrically released in the United States on September 14th 2018 by 20th Century Fox.
The film received mixed reviews and grossed about 160.5 million dollars worldwide against an 88 million dollar budget.
A short film titled The Predator Holiday Special was released alongside the film’s home media release on December 18th 2018.
It is a 2022 American science fiction action horror film directed by Dan Trachtenberg and written by Patrick Aison.
It is the fifth installment and seventh overall (including the crossover films) in the Predator franchise.
Set in the Northern Great Plains of 1719, the film serves as a prequel and follows a young Comanche warrior named Naru, who must protect her people from a vicious, humanoid alien that hunts humans for sport, as well as from French fur traders destroying the buffalo her tribe relies on.
Prey premiered at San Diego Comic‑Con on July 21st 2022 and was released by 20th Century Studios as a Hulu original film in the United States and on Disney+ / Star internationally on August 5th.
The film received positive reviews from critics and strong streaming viewership, leading Trachtenberg to develop two additional Predator films, Predator: Killer of Killers and Predator: Badlands, both set for release in 2025.
It is a 2025 American adult animated science fiction action horror film directed by Dan Trachtenberg, co‑directed by Joshua Wassung and written by Micho Robert Rutare.
Produced by 20th Century Studios, 20th Century Animation and Davis Entertainment, it is the sixth film and eighth installment overall in the Predator franchise.
By October 2024, Trachtenberg – who previously directed Prey (2022) – had secretly completed a new film in the franchise, planned to be released ahead of Predator: Badlands (2025).
In April 2025, the film’s title and release date were revealed, with animation provided by The Third Floor.
It was released on June 6th 2025 in the United States on Hulu and internationally on Disney+.
The film received positive reviews from critics, with praise for its animation, Trachtenberg’s direction, writing, action sequences, musical score and voice cast.
It is an American science fiction action film in the Predator franchise.
The film is directed by Dan Trachtenberg, co‑written by Trachtenberg and Patrick Aison and stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster‑Koloamatangi.
It is the seventh film in the mainline series and the ninth entry in the overall franchise.
Set in the future on a remote planet, a young Predator outcast from his clan finds an unlikely ally in Thia and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.
From Schwarzenegger’s jungle showdown to the grounded reinvention of Prey and the upcoming Badlands, the Predator film franchise keeps finding new ways to explore the hunt.
Which Predator movie is your favourite, and where do you rank Prey among the classics?
Share your ranking in the comments and watch my full Predator franchise breakdown on YouTube at Cinema Awards Archive, where I cover timelines, box office performance and awards‑season stories in more depth.
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