Hollywood is pinning its hopes on a formidable alien force to revive the struggling fall box office. With eyes set on a potential $60 million global opening, Predator: Badlands aims to be the savior of the season. But here's where it gets controversial: this isn't your typical R-rated Predator movie. The PG-13 rating opens up a whole new audience, especially among younger viewers.
Dan Trachtenberg, the filmmaker behind the critically acclaimed Prey, is back with a fresh take on the franchise. In Badlands, the tables are turned, and the alien hunter becomes the hunted. With an impressive 88% fresh reviews following its Hollywood premiere, the film is generating buzz.
Advance ticket sales in the U.S. are promising, with comparisons to successful releases like Ballerina and The Accountant 2. The film will be shown in over 3,700 theaters across the U.S. and Canada, including premium formats and IMAX.
The Predator franchise has a strong track record, with eight films since its inception in 1987. However, the highest domestic opening belongs to the 2004 crossover hit Alien vs. Predator, which debuted to $38.2 million. Among the standalone films, Predators (2010) holds the record for the best domestic opening at $24.7 million.
Predator: Badlands will have premium-format fan previews on Wednesday, followed by Thursday previews starting at 2 p.m. The film's international rollout begins this weekend, with major markets like France, Korea, the Netherlands, and Indonesia leading the way on Wednesday. Thursday will see the addition of Australia, Brazil, Germany, Italy, and Mexico, among others. The offshore projection is estimated to be between $35 million and $38 million.
Comparing it to the previous installment, The Predator (2018), which opened to $49 million in similar foreign markets, Badlands faces a challenging marketplace. However, the film has strong presales in China, a key market for the franchise.
Excluding China, the 2018 Predator movie performed well in Mexico, the UK, Japan, Australia, Brazil, and major European markets. That installment ultimately grossed $146 million globally, with $95 million coming from international box office receipts.
To promote the new film, stars Elle Fanning, Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, and Trachtenberg attended special events, including a red-carpet screening in London and a panel at MCM Comic-Con. They also participated in a chat at SDCC Malaga in September.
Predator: Badlands isn't the only adult-oriented film hitting North American theaters. Other releases include Christy, a Sydney Sweeney film about female boxer Christy Martin; Nuremberg, a Sony Pictures Classics and Walden Media collaboration; Sarah's Oil, an Amazon MGM Studios/Kingdom Story Company production; and Die My Love, a Mubi acquisition starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson.
So, will Predator: Badlands be the blockbuster hit Hollywood needs to revive the fall box office? Or will it fall short of expectations? What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments!
