How to Watch Predator Movies in Order?

Predator is one of the fan-favorites and the longest-running franchises that has garnered a huge fandom since its debut in 1987. The franchise revolves around deadly, out-of-this-world creatures called Predators, who possess technologically advanced gear and weapons. Not only Predator, but the franchise also spans films featuring the Alien and Predator crossover. Now that a new installment titled ‘Predator: Badlands’ is on the cards, we are sure that there must be fans who want to watch the film series from the beginning. Here’s a guide on how to watch Predator movies in order. We’ve listed both chronological and release date order of the Predator movies.

How Many Predator Movies Are Out There?

The Predator franchise has a total of seven live-action films to date, with the eighth installment on the horizon. Additionally, there is a 90-minute animated film, Predator: Killers of Killers, which you can skip or watch, as it has no direct connection to the main films.

Note: The upcoming Predator movie – Predator: Borderlands is not a sequel or prequel to any film. It will feature a standalone environment and a new cast, so we haven’t added it to the list of Predator movies in order.

Predator Movies in Order of Events

If you are wondering in what order you should watch The Predator movies so as to follow the events chronologically, check out the list below.

1. Prey
2. Predator
3. Predator 2
4. Alien vs Predator
5. Alien vs Predator 2
6. Predators
7. The Predator

1. Prey

• Release Date: August 5, 2022
• Director: Dan Trachtenberg
• Cast: Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro, Michelle Thrush, Stormee Kipp, Julian Black Antelope

Prey was released in 2022, but if you want to watch the entire Predator movies in order again, this should be the first movie to start with. The film won’t bombard you with modern technology or heavy settings; instead, as it takes you back in time, i.e., 1719. Here, you’ll meet a girl named Naru, struggling to fit into a world dominated by men. Always looked down by her own tribe, Naru gets a perfect chance to showcase her skills when a dangerous, technologically advanced Predator shows up on Earth. She uses all her wit, survival skills, and intellect to protect her people from falling prey to the alien.

2. Predator

• Release Date: June 12, 1987
• Director: John McTiernan
• Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers

Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Predator laid the foundation of the franchise. With its impeccable predator designs and the perfect blend of horror, action, and science fiction, it accumulated positive reviews from global fans. The film follows Dutch, portrayed by Schwarzenegger, and a U.S. military rescue team, who are tasked with protecting a diplomat who is trapped amidst the guerrillas in the wilderness of South America. However, after reaching the location, the team doesn’t take the time to realize that there is an invisible force they have to deal with.

3. Predator 2

• Release Date: November 21, 1990
• Director: Stephen Hopkins
• Cast: Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Rubén Blades, María Conchita Alonso, Bill Paxton, Robert Davi

Predator 2 is the direct sequel to the first Predator movie, introducing a new set of characters led by Danny Glover’s Lieutenant Mike Harrigan. The film was released in 1990, but it takes place in 1997. Unlike Predator, the sequel shifts its focus from the wilderness to an urban environment. During a heatwave and gang war in Los Angeles, Mike Harrigan and his team are tasked with capturing drug cartels.

While doing his duty, Mike discovers a technologically advanced Predator preying on cops and gangsters. Harrigan didn’t hesitate to take the lead and show up for the final battle on the alien’s ship.

4. Alien vs Predator

• Release Date: August 13, 2004
• Director: Paul W. S. Anderson
• Cast: Sanaa Lathan, Raoul Bova, Lance Henriksen, Ewen Bremner

This film was the first crossover project of the Alien and Predator franchises, which was pretty well received by the audience. The film follows a group of scientists and mercenaries who are sent to explore a Pyramid. The team is led by an experienced guide named Alexa “Lex” Woods.

While exploring the area, the team discovers a hidden place where Predators have been hunting aliens for centuries. They also awaken the Alien Queen, who begins producing eggs, and later, the team is attacked by the aliens. Several team members get killed, but before the outwardly creatures can catch Lex, she partners with a Predator named Scar and fights for survival.

5. Alien vs Predator: Requiem

• Release Date: December 25, 2007
• Director: The Brothers Strause
• Cast: Steven Pasquale, Reiko Aylesworth, John Ortiz, Johnny Lewis, Ariel Gade

Alien vs. Predator: Requiem picks up where the previous AvP film left off. When a Predator ship crashes in a town in Colorado and the hybrid called ‘Predalien’ escapes, the civilians of the town come into danger. The Predalien and the Facehugger kill several people; that’s when a Predator named Wolf shows up to capture the Predalien and clean the mess. The film harbored an action-packed and bloody narrative that couldn’t get the love it deserved.

6. Predators

• Release Date: July 9, 2010
• Director: Nimród Antal
• Cast: Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, Walton Goggins, Laurence Fishburne

Predators is a standalone sequel to Predator 2, revolving around a group that drops from the sky wearing parachutes onto an alien planet. Royce, a potent mercenary, discovers that they have landed on a planet that is a game preserve for the Predators, where they bring humans to feed on them just for fun. Royce and the other members of the group fight the Predator, but most of them die.

7. The Predator

• Release Date: September 14, 2018
• Director: Shane Black
• Cast: Boyd Holbrook, Olivia Munn, Trevante Rhodes, Keegan-Michael Key, Sterling K. Brown, Jacob TremblayYvonne Strahovski, Alfie Allen, Thomas Jane

After discovering a crashed Predator ship, U.S. Army Ranger sniper Quinn McKenna tries to steal the alien’s gear. However, he gets captured by the government and put on a bus with the misfit soldiers. The government then takes the Predator to the lab to study it. However, the outworldly creature escapes and starts causing havoc in the city.

Predator Movies in Order of Release Date

Not every fan would want to watch the Predator movies in the chronological order; there will surely be some who would like to experience the franchise in the manner in which the films were released. So, here are the Predator movies in release order that such fans may follow:

1. Predator (1987)
2. Predator 2 (1990)
3. AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)
4. Aliens vs Predator: Requiem (2007)
5. Predators (2010)
6. The Predator (2018)
7. Prey (2022)