How to Watch the Predator Movies in Chronological Order

Humans like to consider themselves at the top of the food chain, but when it comes to the galactic gladiator competition, we barely scrape by. The Predator franchise, which kicked off with the iconic Arnold Schwarzenegger film in 1987, revolves around the "Yautja" - towering trophy-seeking hunters from space who scour different worlds for lethal competition and have been known to abduct species for hunts on their home planet.

The first two Predator films in 1987 and 1990 laid the groundwork for this thrilling saga. With the Xenomorphs from the Alien franchise also posing a cinematic threat to humanity, it was only natural in the 2000s to create a shared universe with two Alien vs. Predator films. In the following decade, directors like Robert Rodriguez, Shane Black, and Dan Trachtenberg each added their unique flair to the series.

With two new Predator movies set to hit screens in 2025, it's the perfect time to dive back into the original sci-fi classics. If you're looking to watch every Predator movie in order, we've got you covered! Below, you'll find the complete timeline of the Predator movies and where to watch them online.

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• How to watch in chronological order
• How to watch by release order

How to Watch the Predator Movies in Chronological Order

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You can also explore our guide to the Alien movies to incorporate the full timeline.

How Many Predator Movies Are There?

There are a total of seven movies in the Predator franchise—four in the mainline series, two Alien crossovers, and one prequel. Two new Predator movies are slated for release in 2025.

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Predator Movies in (Chronological) Order

1. Prey (2022)

Prey is a prequel and is designed to be watched after everything else (particularly Predator 2), but if you're aiming to experience the Predator franchise in true chronological order, start here. Set in 1719 across the Great Plains, Prey follows a young Comanche woman, Naru (Amber Midthunder), who gets more than she bargained for when she accompanies her brother on a hunt and finds herself in the crosshairs of a (more primitive) Predator. Determined to prove herself, Naru sets her sights on taking down the alien stalker in this fresh and thrilling addition to the three-decade saga.

Read IGN's review of Prey

Where to Stream: Hulu

2. Predator (1987)

It all began with 1987's Predator, directed by John McTiernan of Die Hard fame and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime, along with Carl Weathers, Jesse Ventura, Bill Duke, and Shane Black (who would later direct his own Predator film). Predator is an action classic where a nearly unstoppable military rescue team is outmatched by a terrifying invisible force in the jungles of South America. When the attacker is revealed to be an alien hunter on a sinister safari, Schwarzenegger's Dutch must figure out how to ambush and defeat a monster far ahead in technology and tactics.

Where to Stream: Hulu | Rent/Buy: Prime Video

3. Predator 2 (1990)

A few years later, Predator returned with more massacres and mayhem, but this time with a new cast and setting. Set during a near-future heatwave and crimewave in 1997 Los Angeles, Predator 2 follows cops played by Danny Glover, Bill Paxton, Ruben Blades, and María Conchita Alonso as they attempt to handle a bloody cartel war and a badass alien Predator stalking the city for victims.

Where to Stream: Hulu | Rent/Buy: Prime Video

4. AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)

After 14 years—with novels, comics, and video games keeping the franchise alive—Predator made a grand return with a crossover movie, merging with the Alien saga. Alien vs. Predator, directed by Paul W. S. Anderson of Resident Evil and Event Horizon fame, was a major hit, revitalizing both sci-fi/horror franchises. Set in present-day America, AVP introduced a chilling piece of history connecting the Yautja and Xenomorphs: Predators had been conducting hunts on Earth for centuries, using humans as breeding bodies for Xenomorphs, and then hunting the Xeno swarm for "rite of passage" sport. Sanaa Lathan, Lance Henriksen, Raoul Bova, and Ewen Bremner star.

Read IGN's review of AVP: Alien vs. Predator

Where to Stream: Hulu | Rent/Buy: Prime Video

5. Aliens vs Predator: Requiem (2007)

The sequel to AVP, Aliens vs Predator: Requiem, picks up right where AVP left off, making it part of the same battle in the timeline. Not as successful as its predecessor (and the final crossover film), Requiem introduced an Alien-Predator hybrid known as the "Predalien," which wreaked havoc on a small Colorado town, prompting a Predator "cleaner" to be dispatched to take down this new threat.

Read IGN's review of Alien vs. Predator: Requiem here.

Where to Stream: Hulu | Rent/Buy: Prime Video

6. Predators (2010)

The only Predator movie not set on Earth, Predators, directed by Robert Rodriguez, aimed to shake up the formula by transporting audiences to a distant planet, a Yautja game reserve. With a stellar cast including Adrien Brody, Walton Goggins, Laurence Fishburne, Topher Grace, and Alice Braga, Predators revealed how humans—specifically "established killers"—are abducted and used for sport between two warring Yautja tribes.

Timeline-wise, it's unclear when exactly this takes place on Earth, but it's reasonable to assume it's around 2010, the year of its release, or at least the early 21st Century. So, you can place Predators here at number six or save it for last in your chronological viewing.

Read IGN's review of Predators

Where to Stream: Hulu | Rent/Buy: Prime Video

7. The Predator (2018)

Despite Predators being a modest hit, it took eight years for another Predator film to reach the big screen. With 2018's The Predator, director and co-writer Shane Black (known for Iron Man 3 and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) returned the franchise to its original formula (which he himself starred in) by presenting a squad of unstable soldiers—played by Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Keegan-Michael Key, Thomas Jane, and Game of Thrones' Alfie Allen—who take on a pair of rampaging Predators and thwart their Yautja schemes (which involve DNA splicing). The film ends with a tease for more, while alternate/unused endings featured time-traveling versions of Alien's Ellen Ripley and Rebecca "Newt" Jorden, hinting at another crossover.

Read IGN's review of The Predator

Where to Stream: Hulu | Rent/Buy: Prime Video

How to Watch the Predator Movies by Release Date

If you prefer to watch the movies in the order they were released in theaters, follow this list:

• Predator (1987)
• Predator 2 (1990)
• AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)
• Aliens vs Predator: Requiem (2007)
• Predators (2010)
• The Predator (2018)
• Prey (2022)

The Future of the Predator Franchise

Two new Predator movies are set to be released in 2025. Predator: Badlands, hitting theaters on November 7, 2025, will star Elle Fanning and feature the Predator as the protagonist, according to director Dan Trachtenberg.

The second movie, also directed by Trachtenberg, was kept under wraps for some time. However, we can now confirm that Predator: Killer of Killers is an animated film that follows three different encounters with the ultimate killer at various points in history. It is scheduled for a direct-to-Hulu release on June 6.