PREDATOR: BADLANDS Dominates Box Office With $40 Million Debut, Setting Franchise Record
The Predator franchise has officially reclaimed the box office throne. Predator: Badlands just delivered a $40 million domestic debut, tearing past expectations and setting a new franchise record by beating out 2004’s Alien vs. Predator ($38 million, not adjusted for inflation).
That’s a big win for a sci-fi series that launched in 1987 with Arnold Schwarzenegger facing off against cinema’s deadliest hunter.
The win couldn’t have come at a better time. After a rough October filled with high-profile flops like Tron: Ares and The Smashing Machine, the U.S. box office had sunk to a 28-year low.
Now Badlands is giving the industry a much-needed adrenaline shot heading into November, a month packed with major releases like The Running Man, Now You See Me 3, Wicked: For Good, and Zootopia 2.
Heading into the weekend, Disney and 20th Century were hoping for $25–30 million. Instead, strong reviews and excellent word-of-mouth pushed Badlands way beyond projections.
It earned an “A-” CinemaScore from audiences and saw a big turnout from younger crowds thanks to its PG-13 rating. Premium screens like IMAX and Dolby accounted for an impressive 59% of ticket sales, boosting its overall numbers.
Internationally, Predator: Badlands brought in another $40 million, bringing its worldwide total to $80 million, which is a solid start for a movie that cost $105 million to make. That’s a big relief for Disney after recent theatrical misfires such as Tron: Ares and Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.
The studio looks to keep that winning streak alive with the upcoming Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash, both of which are expected to dominate globally.
Dan Trachtenberg, who directed 2022’s Prey and this summer’s animated Predator: Killer of Killers, returned to helm Badlands. This standalone entry follows an outcast alien hunter (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) and his human ally (Elle Fanning) as they embark on a perilous journey to face a terrifying adversary. It wnded up being an aweosme action-packed adventure film!
In its first weekend, Predator: Badlands easily took the top spot over several new releases targeting niche audiences. Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson’s psychological drama Die My Love opened with $2.8 million, while Rami Malek’s historical film Nuremberg brought in $4.1 million for a fifth-place finish.
The feel-good drama Sarah’s Oil, from Amazon MGM, earned $4.5 million and scored a rare “A+” CinemaScore, which are impressive numbers for a smaller release.
Second place belonged to Regretting You, which added $7.1 million for a domestic total of $38.5 million. Meanwhile, Black Phone 2 continued its strong run in third with $5.3 million, bringing its worldwide total to $120 million.
With Predator: Badlands, the franchise has finally reclaimed its cinematic glory, and brought the box office back to life.