Here is a fully punctuated, reader‑friendly guide to every Predator film so
far, ready to pair with your 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.
The film ranked 12th place 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. It spawned six additional films.
2. Predator 2 (1990)
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 57 million dollars, 30 million
of which was from the United States.
The worldwide box office revenue totalled 57,120,318 dollars
in ticket sales. The film became the lowest‑grossing film in the Predator
franchise.
3. Predators (2010)
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, including its crossover movies, of 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, leading them to try to survive and look
for a way back to Earth.
It was released by 20th Century Fox in the United States on July 9th 2010.
It grossed 127 million dollars worldwide and received mixed reviews from
critics, with praise for the action but criticism aimed at the thinly written
characters.
A fourth film, titled The Predator, was released
in 2018 and a prequel, Prey, was released in 2022.
4. The Predator (2018)
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, including the crossover movies.
Black had a supporting role in the original film, while John Davis returns as
producer from the first three installments.
It follows a group of PTSD‑afflicted soldiers and a scientist who must team up to fight off an invading pair of Predators and discover 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 160.5 million dollars worldwide against an 88 million dollar budget.
A short film, titled The Predator Holiday Special, was released with the film's home media release on December 18th 2018.
5. Prey (2022)
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 movies, of the Predator franchise.
The story takes place chronologically before the previous movies and serves as
a prequel, as it is set in the Northern Great Plains in 1719.
It follows a young Comanche warrior named Naru. She finds herself having to protect her people from a vicious, humanoid alien
that hunts humans for sport, as well as from French fur traders who are
destroying the buffalo they rely on for survival.
It 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+ and Star internationally on August 5th.
The film received positive reviews from critics and high
viewership, leading Trachtenberg to direct two additional Predator films, Predator:
Killer of Killers and Predator: Badlands, both set for
release in 2025.
6. Predator: Killer of Killers (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 made a secret film in the franchise, set to be released prior to Predator: Badlands (2025).
In April 2025, the film's title and release date were revealed. Animation was 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.
7. Predator: Badlands (2025)
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 ninth in the overall
franchise.
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.
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Wrap‑up and CTA for Cinema Awards Archive
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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