Moviegoers are buzzing about the surprising success of 'Predator: Badlands,' which has taken the box office by storm with an impressive worldwide gross of $80 million. But here's where it gets controversial... the film's debut in North America alone brought in $40 million, surpassing expectations and breathing new life into a sluggish autumn season.
This opening marks a significant milestone, especially considering how the current box office landscape has been struggling following the worst weekend of 2025, with few new releases making a memorable impact. 'Predator: Badlands,' however, managed to stand out, largely because there was minimal competition from other newcomers.
In terms of numbers, excluding inflation adjustments, its $40 million debut set a new record for the franchise that started with the iconic 1987 film. It beats the previous high of $38.3 million, achieved by 2004’s 'Alien vs. Predator,' making it the most successful launch in the series' history.
Directed and written by Dan Trachtenberg, 'Predator: Badlands' earned an additional $40 million internationally, bringing its global total to the $80 million mark. Disney’s 20th Century Studios is behind this release, and this film stands out as the priciest 'Predator' movie yet, with a hefty production budget of around $105 million.
Set on a distant, unfamiliar planet, the story introduces a fresh twist to the sci-fi franchise. The plot centers around a young, outsider Predator, played by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, who encounters an android scientist portrayed by Elle Fanning. Their story unfolds as they embark on an extraordinary adventure together. Critics have responded positively, with an 85% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and audiences have awarded it an 'A-' CinemaScore, indicating strong viewer approval.
In recent times, positive news from movie theaters has been scarce. For example, AMC Theaters—the largest chain in the United States—reported a quarterly loss of $298.2 million, partly because the summer season didn't perform as well as expected. October's revenue was the lowest in nearly three decades, and many anticipated award contenders haven't attracted much audience attention.
This past weekend, several high-profile releases hit theaters, but most failed to resonate with viewers despite featuring well-known stars. Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson starred in 'Die My Love,' which opened to just $2.8 million across nearly 2,000 theaters. The film, directed by Lynne Ramsay, explores the life of a new mother and her husband, with Hollywood distributor Mubi investing around $24 million after its debut at Cannes. Audience feedback was notably poor, with a CinemaScore of D+.
Similarly, 'Christy,' featuring Sydney Sweeney as the famed boxer Christy Martin, debuted with $1.3 million from over 2,000 theaters. This was the first release by Black Bear Pictures, which has garnered some awards buzz for Sweeney since its Toronto International Film Festival premiere.
Other new entries, like Sony Pictures Classics’ 'Nuremberg,' a dramatization of the post-WWII tribunals starring Rami Malek and Russell Crowe, managed a modest start of $4.1 million from nearly 1,800 theaters. Meanwhile, 'Sarah’s Oil,' an Amazon MGM release depicting a young Black girl discovering oil-rich land in early 1900s Oklahoma, performed slightly better with $4.5 million from 2,410 locations and received an exceptional 'A+' CinemaScore.
Among the Oscar hopefuls opening recently, Neon’s 'Sentimental Value' stands out. Directed by Joachim Trier, this prize-winning family drama from Cannes stars Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, and Elle Fanning in her second appearance of the weekend. With a limited release in four theaters, it earned $200,000—an impressive $50,000 per screen, ranking as the third-best per-screen average of the year.
The success of 'Predator: Badlands' was a bright spot for Disney, helping the company maintain its streak of over $4 billion in worldwide box office revenue for the fourth consecutive year. This achievement comes after setbacks with films like 'Tron: Ares' and 'Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.' With upcoming major releases such as 'Zootopia 2' and 'Avatar: Fire and Ash,' Disney is well-positioned to surpass the $5 billion milestone in global ticket sales.
Looking at weekend box office estimates across the U.S. and Canada, the top performers included:
- 'Predator: Badlands' - $40 million
- 'Regretting You' - $7.1 million
- 'Black Phone 2' - $5.3 million
- 'Sarah’s Oil' - $4.5 million
- 'Nuremberg' - $4.1 million
- 'Chainsaw Man' - $3.6 million
- 'Bugonia' - $3.5 million
- 'Die My Love' - $2.8 million
- 'Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere' - $2.2 million
- 'Tron: Ares' - $1.8 million.
Will the momentum of 'Predator: Badlands' be enough to break the ongoing trends of disappointing box office returns, or will other films manage to turn the tides? Share your thoughts in the comments—do you believe studios are truly learning what audiences want, or are we headed for more of the same?
