Predator Badlands Set To Dethrone Arnold Schwarzenegger's Predator In Lifetime Box Office
Dan Trachtenberg’s Predator: Badlands is stalking the box office, exploding past expectations with a $92 million worldwide haul since its November 7 debut. The tale of an outcast Predator forging an unlikely alliance in search of the ultimate hunt is fast emerging as fall’s stealth hit.
File this under: did not see that coming. Dan Trachtenberg just dropped another Predator movie, 'Predator: Badlands', on November 7, and it is tearing through the box office faster than an invisible space hunter through a jungle camp.
Where the money is right now
One week in, 'Badlands' has already banked $92 million worldwide. For context, Arnold Schwarzenegger's 1987 original finished its entire run at $98 million. So yeah, the new kid is just a few million shy of catching a 37-year-old classic after seven days. At the pace it’s moving, that milestone is basically a foregone conclusion.
Records it just broke at home
This is the ninth Predator movie overall and the seventh to hit theaters. It also just notched the biggest domestic opening weekend in the franchise. Over its first three days, 'Badlands' pulled in $40,016,853. By day six, the domestic total had already crossed $51 million, and it currently sits at $53,304,860. No Predator film has ever hit $50 million domestic this fast. Plenty never got there at all.
The franchise scorecard (quick hits)
- Predator (1987): Opening $12,031,638; Domestic $59,735,548
- Predator 2 (1990): Opening $8,784,943; Domestic $28,317,513
- AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004): Opening $38,291,056; Domestic $80,281,096
- Aliens vs. Predator - Requiem (2007): Opening $10,059,425; Domestic $41,797,066
- Predators (2010): Opening $24,760,882; Domestic $52,000,688
- The Predator (2018): Opening $24,632,284; Domestic $51,024,708
- Prey (2022): Streaming release (no box office)
- Predator: Killer of Killers (2025): TBA
- Predator: Badlands (2025): Opening $40,016,853; Domestic $53,304,860 (and climbing)
So what is this one about?
The hook is surprisingly character-forward for a Predator flick: a young Yautja gets kicked to the curb by his clan, links up with an unlikely human ally, and goes hunting for the toughest opponent he can find. It stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, runs a lean 1 hour 55 minutes, and comes from director Dan Trachtenberg.
Word of mouth is doing its job
Critics are into it. 'Badlands' is sitting at an 86% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, which is the kind of score that keeps people buying tickets in week two and beyond. Compared to other current releases like 'The Running Man' and 'Now You See Me: Now You Don’t' (both getting mixed reactions), 'Badlands' has a clear edge in buzz.
What this means for the Predator machine
The franchise has been stress-tested a lot over the years, and this is the cleanest win it’s had in a while. Between 'Prey' in 2022, the upcoming 'Killer of Killers' in 2025, and now 'Badlands', Trachtenberg is on a legit roll with this universe. That kind of streak usually earns you the keys to the next chapter. Nothing official has been announced, but Disney now has proof the brand still pulls real money in theaters, so expect those meetings to happen fast.
The bottom line
'Predator: Badlands' is outperforming expectations, closing in on the original’s lifetime haul in record time, and giving the series its best theatrical opening yet. If you’ve been waiting for the franchise to feel dangerous and fun again, this is that. The movie is playing in theaters worldwide right now. If you saw it, tell me where you landed on the human-Predator team-up — bold swing that works, or too cute for this franchise?