Dhanush calls ‘Predator: Badlands’ a Perfect tribute to OG Fans

Actor-filmmaker Dhanush has heaped praise on Hollywood’s latest sci-fi thriller “Predator: Badlands,” describing it as a “marvel” and a “great tribute to OG Predator fans.”

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Kuberaa star wrote, “PREDATOR – Badlands. WOW… JUST WOW. A MARVEL. A great tribute to OG Predator fans.”

The 2025 film marks the ninth installment in the iconic Predator franchise, which began in 1987 with the John McTiernan classic starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The original film set the standard for sci-fi action with its suspenseful jungle warfare and the terrifying alien hunter known as the Predator, a creature that has since become a pop culture legend.

In Predator: Badlands , a young outcast Predator named Dek is exiled to a perilous planet to prove his worth by hunting down the mythical, unkillable Kalisk. Along the way, he forms an unlikely alliance with Thia, a synthetic android from the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, a nod to the shared Alien universe.

The film stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi in lead roles, with Boyd Holbrook and Mia Goth in pivotal performances. Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, who previously helmed Prey (2022), Badlands continues the legacy of balancing brutal action with emotional depth.

Dhanush, who made his Hollywood debut in the Russo brothers’ The Gray Man (2022), was last seen in Idly Karai . He will next appear opposite Kriti Sanon in Aanand L. Rai’s Tere Ishk Mein , marking their third collaboration after Raanjhanaa and Atrangi Re .