The battle for box office supremacy has taken an unexpected turn, with ‘Predator: Badlands’ now claiming the top spot in the franchise’s history—and it’s not just a small victory. This film has surged ahead of the previous champion, 2004’s ‘Alien vs. Predator,’ in overall gross revenue, and the story behind how it achieved this is as intriguing as the movie itself. But here’s where it gets controversial...
Recently, 20th Century Studios announced that ‘Predator: Badlands’ has become the highest-grossing installment of the 38-year-old franchise, amassing an impressive $177.5 million worldwide. This figure edged out ‘Alien vs. Predator,’ which had held the title with a global box office total of approximately $177.4 million. The reason for emphasizing this milestone now? Because the film directed by Danny Trachtenberg has officially surpassed ‘AVP’ in reported gross revenue, which many fans and industry observers will take at face value when researching the series.
It’s important to understand that Disney—who now oversees the franchise—initially claimed that ‘Predator: Badlands’ was the highest-grossing film in the series, as early as November 23. They provided a like-for-like comparison of international earnings, adjusting for currency differences versus the original. This method is standard practice for evaluating global box office performance—comparing apples to apples across different countries.
On that particular Sunday, the film had reached a reported $159.6 million globally, surpassing the adjusted final gross of ‘Alien vs. Predator,’ which stood at around $150.3 million. This leap indicates that ‘Badlands’ has really gained momentum and shows promise for sustained success.
Turning to the numbers from its debut weekend, ‘Predator: Badlands’ opened with an $80 million total worldwide box office haul, including a strong $40 million from the domestic U.S. market. This made it the best opening in the history of the franchise, especially notable after a sluggish October for box office sales overall. For context, last weekend’s reports indicated that ‘Badlands’ had already reached $85 million domestically, outpacing ‘AVP,’ which totaled about $80.2 million during its entire run. Internationally, ‘AVP’ had a reported final gross of roughly $97.1 million, while ‘Badlands’ has accumulated around $89.3 million across the globe.
The film’s most lucrative foreign markets include China, where it earned about $15.1 million, followed by the UK at $7 million, Mexico with $5.7 million, France at $5 million, and Japan with roughly $4.3 million. These figures demonstrate the widespread appeal of the Predator universe and its capacity to perform well across diverse regions.
Director Trachtenberg has successfully revitalized the franchise, which initially began in 1987 with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead, under the direction of John McTiernan. At that time, ‘Predator’ marked a career highlight for Schwarzenegger, earning nearly $60 million domestically in the summer of its release. Trachtenberg’s recent efforts also include the Hulu-exclusive ‘Prey,’ which debuted during the COVID-19 pandemic and was highly praised—scoring 94% from critics and 74% from general audiences. The film’s critical acclaim led to calls for a theatrical release, culminating in ‘Badlands’ hitting theaters. Meanwhile, a spinoff animated series, ‘Predator: Killer of Killers,’ is also in development.
‘Predator: Badlands’ not only broke records at the box office but also achieved the franchise’s highest CinemaScore rating ever, earning an impressive A-. The film’s fresh approach features the Predator as the protagonist—an unlikely hero or perhaps the hunted—on a violent, alien planet. The Predator is portrayed by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, with Elle Fanning playing a malfunctioning android ally, adding a new twist to the narrative.
However, it’s worth noting that sci-fi movies like ‘Badlands’ typically require significant investment—reportedly around $105 million before marketing and promotional costs—due to expensive special effects and production demands. Interestingly, the ‘Alien vs. Predator’ film, which was released during the peak DVD era with a production budget of approximately $65 million, remains one of the most profitable films ever made by 20th Century Fox, illustrating that high-budget sci-fi movies can be incredibly lucrative when executed well.
And this is the part most people miss: Box office success isn’t solely about initial numbers. It’s about ongoing cultural impact, fan engagement, and the potential for future projects. So, what do you think? With ‘Predator: Badlands’ redefining franchise benchmarks, is this the start of a new era for the series—or are we overselling a film that might only have this fleeting moment in the spotlight? Share your thoughts below—and let the debate begin.
