Shane Black’s The Predator is eyeing a dominant performance at the domestic box office when it opens in theaters next month.
According to early tracking numbers from Variety, The Predator is currently on pace to make between $25 million and $30 million in its opening weekend. Judging by the rest of the competition, those numbers should help Fox’s thriller easily conquer its debut.
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Lionsgate thriller A Simple Favor is opening on the same weekend (September 14) and it currently pacing for a $12 million to $15 million debut. White Boy Rick, starring Matthew McConaughey, is on track for just over $5 million that same weekend.
The strongest competition will come from the newest addition to James Wan’s Conjuring universe, The Nun, which will be in its second weekend. The Nun is currently expected to make between $32 million and $40 million when it opens on September 7.
If The Predator performs as expected, it will take home the second-biggest opening weekend of the entire franchise. As of now, Alien Vs. Predator holds the highest opening mark of the bunch, taking in just over $38 million during its debut in 2007. 2010’s Predators, directed by Robert Rodriguez, earned nearly $25 million when it was released.
The original Predator film was released in theaters in 1987, and earned $12 million in its opening weekend, on its way to a grand total of $59 million domestically. When adjusted for inflation, that equals about $141 million today.
Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem opened to just $10 million in 2007, while Predator 2 was the lowest of the franchise, with a $8.7 million opening in 1990.
Shane Black’s new take on The Predator follows the terrifying alien race as the return to Earth, after becoming even stronger by mixing their DNA with that of other species. Jacob Tremblay’s character is the one who brings the Predators back here by accidentally setting off a strange alert. Black is directing the film from a script he co-wrote with Fred Dekker.
The Predator stars Boyd Holbrook, Jacob Tremblay, Sterling K. Brown, Olivia Munn, Trevante Rhodes, Keegan-Michael Key, Alfie Allen, Thomas Jane, Augusto Aguilera, Jake Busey, and Yvonne Strahovski.
How much do you think The Predator will make in its opening weekend at the box office? Do you think it will be enough to top Alien Vs. Predator‘s total? Let us know your prediction in the comments!
