“Predator: Killer of Killers” arrives this summer on Hulu, the first animated film in the long-running franchise and one of two new “Predator” movies due out this year. “Killer of Killers” also finds the franchise headed to another era — actually, in this case, three.
The new animated film, directed by “Prey” filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg and set to release on June 6, 2025, will be an anthology story. In total, fans will get to experience a Predator story in the Viking era, feudal Japan, and WWII Europe, each with different heroes leading them. More details on that below.
But before we get there, let’s take stock of everywhere — and every time — the “Predator” franchise has been. It actually dates back pretty far.
Predator (1987)
The first “Predator” film, released back in 1987 — with the events of the film taking place the same year — stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Dutch Schaefer, who is leading a paramilitary mission to rescue hostages. Those hostages are being kept in a Central American rainforest, though it’s not specified which one.
Predator 2 (1990)
In the second “Predator” film, we fast forward a bit. It takes place in 1997 Los Angeles, and stars Danny Glover as police lieutenant Michael R. Harrigan. Kevin Peter Hall returns as the Predator, only this story largely focuses on an investigation of rival drug cartels.
Alien vs. Predator (2004)
In a light twist, considering the first film establishes that the predators are drawn to hotter times, “Alien vs. Predator” takes the story to Antarctica to mash up the two sci-fi franchises. More specifically, a satellite detects a heat bloom under Bouvetøya, an island roughly a thousand miles off the coast of Antarctica.
This sequel stars Sanaa Lathan, Raoul Bova, Lance Henriksen, Ewen Bremner, Colin Salmon, and Tommy Flanagan.
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
Following the events of the first “Alien vs. Predator” film, the next one takes viewers back to some warmth, and back stateside. In this movie, the Predator ship crashes in a forest outside of Gunnison, Colorado.
Predators (2010)
The fifth film in the franchise returns to the jungle, but actually takes viewers off Earth entirely. This time, a group of skilled killers have been abducted and taken to an alien planet. They quickly realize that they’ve been effectively placed in a game preserve, where humans are among the species that are hunted.
Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Walton Goggins and Laurence Fishburne star in the film.
The Predator (2018)
“The Predator” — yes, the titles are all quite similar — takes the hunt to suburbia, after initially kicking off in Mexico, though it’s left vague on specifically where everything is happening. In this one, a Fugitive Predator actually tries to help humans fight Predators.
Directed and co-written by Shane Black, who actually starred in and performed rewrites on the original “Predator,” “The Predator” stars Olivia Munn, Jacob Tremblay, Boyd Holbrook and Trevante Rhodes.
Prey (2022)
Starring Amber Midthunder and released in 2022, “Prey” served as a prequel to the entire franchise, taking place in the Great Plains of 1719. Given the time period, it’s not very dialogue-heavy, but there’s plenty of action.
Predator: Killer of Killers (2025)
As we mentioned way up above, the next “Predator” film will be an anthology that takes fans across three time periods with three different warriors.
Per the official synopsis, we’ll see “a Viking raider guiding her young son on a bloody quest for revenge, a ninja in feudal Japan who turns against his Samurai brother in a brutal battle for succession, and a WWII pilot who takes to the sky to investigate an otherworldly threat to the Allied cause.”
“But while all these warriors are killers in their own right, they are merely prey for their new opponent – the ultimate killer of killers.”
Trachtenberg, who directed “Prey” and the upcoming “Predator: Badlands,” also directed this new animated film.
Predator: Badlands (2025)
Set to hit theaters this Fall, “Predator: Badlands” will star Elle Fanning. This story is set in the future “on a remote planet, where a young Predator, outcast from his clan, finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Fanning) and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.”
