The last time a new Predator movie debuted in theaters, the franchise seemed to be at the end of its rope. Shane Black’s 2018 film The Predator was a critically panned misfire that earned just $160.5 million worldwide. However, in the years since that movie came out, Predator experienced an unexpected resurgence thanks to the guiding hand of director Dan Trachtenberg. Streaming hits Prey and Predator: Killer of Killers put the IP back on the map, setting the stage for an anticipated return to theaters. Many were curious to see how Predator: Badlands would fare as it opened this weekend, and Trachtenberg’s latest exceeded expectations to break a notable box office record.
Videos by ComicBook.com
According to Deadline, Predator: Badlands earned $40 million domestically over its first three days, which is a new all-time high for the franchise. That figure tops the $38.2 million Alien vs. Predator posted in its debut over 20 years ago. Badlands grossed an additional $40 million from international markets, making its global opening a robust $80 million. The film was budgeted at $105 million before marketing costs.
How Predator: Badlands Made Box Office History
Going into the weekend, Predator: Badlands was projected to earn around $25 million domestically, a haul that would have been lower than Tron: Ares‘ debut. And things didn’t get off to the best start when Badlands earned less than Alien: Romulus from its preview screenings. However, the film ended up smashing past the estimates to rewrite the record books. The biggest reason why is likely word of mouth. Predator: Badlands earned positive reviews, with many critics praising it for being a fascinating extension of the Predator mythos that also delivered plenty of hard-hitting action. Trachtenberg has also earned himself a loyal fan base following Prey and Killer of Killers; fans have maintained for years that Prey deserved a traditional theatrical run, so this was their opportunity to support Trachtenberg at the multiplex.
In addition to being a well-received film, Predator: Badlands also took full advantage of extremely weak competition. Last month was the worst October at the box office in 27 years (excluding 2020), so Badlands did not have to contend with any high-profile holdovers. It was also the most notable film opening this weekend; all of the other new arrivals were smaller films designed to be counterprogramming options for older viewers. Predator: Badlands essentially had theaters to itself the past three days. No other film made more than $7.1 million this weekend.
Predator: Badlands got to run unopposed this weekend, but that won’t be the case next week, when The Running Man and Now You See Me: Now You Don’t open. The former is generating strong buzz of its own, so these titles could have an impact on Badlands‘ box office legs. Obviously, getting off to a strong start is great, but it’s also important for a film to hold well in its second weekend. Franchise installments can be front-loaded, as their opening weekends are typically bolstered by hype from die-hard fans. It will be fascinating to see how Badlands does against stiffer competition, but Trachtenberg and Co. have every reason to celebrate today.
By setting a new franchise box office record, the Predator franchise passed a significant test, which bodes well for the property’s future. Trachtenberg has made it known he has ideas for more installments, and now he will likely get a chance to make them a reality. It will be interesting to see how the next Predator film unfolds. There will surely be great interest in expanding upon Badlands‘ connections to the Alien franchise, but it doesn’t sound like Trachtenberg is in any rush to develop a new Alien vs. Predator movie. He’s found great success telling largely self-contained stories set in the universe, so perhaps that should be the continued approach for the time being.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in theย ComicBook Forum!
Most Viewed
-
Image courtesy of Monolith Productions, Nightdive Studios, Warner Bros. Games, and Atari
