Hollywood is pinning its hopes on a formidable alien force to rescue the struggling fall box office. With the release of Predator: Badlands, 20th Century Studios aims to rake in a minimum of $60 million globally, with a significant chunk of that revenue expected from North America.
In a season where sci-fi hasn't quite delivered, Disney is taking a second shot at the genre. Tron: Ares, their previous attempt, bombed at the box office, failing to recoup its $220 million production cost. However, Predator: Badlands offers a glimmer of hope, especially with its PG-13 rating, which could attract a wider audience, including younger viewers under 25.
But here's where it gets interesting. The film's director, Dan Trachtenberg, has already proven his mettle with the critically acclaimed Prey, a Hulu original that became the streamer's biggest premiere in August 2022. Predator: Badlands takes a unique twist, turning the tables on the typical predator-prey dynamic, with the alien hunter becoming the hunted. Initial reviews following the Hollywood premiere are promising, with an 88% fresh rating.
Advance ticket sales in the U.S. are comparable to Ballerina and The Accountant 2, but lag behind Tron: Ares. Despite this, there seems to be a buzz surrounding Predator: Badlands that Tron: Ares lacked. With 3,700 theaters across the U.S. and Canada, including premium formats, the film is poised for a strong opening.
The Predator franchise, with its consistent output since the original 1987 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, has a solid track record. 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 offer premium-format fan previews on Wednesday, followed by Thursday previews starting at 2 p.m. The film's international rollout begins this weekend, with key markets like France, Korea, the Netherlands, and Indonesia opening on Wednesday. Thursday sees the addition of Australia, Brazil, Germany, Italy, and Mexico, among others. The final phase of the global release includes China, India, Japan, Spain, and the UK on Friday.
The offshore projection for Predator: Badlands is estimated to be $35-$38 million. The previous installment, The Predator (2018), opened to $49 million in similar foreign markets, but the current marketplace is more challenging. Excluding China, where the 2018 film grossed $19 million, Badlands is not expected to match that figure.
The 2018 Predator movie performed best in a mix of markets, including Mexico, the UK, Japan, Australia, Brazil, and key European countries, ultimately grossing $146 million globally, with $95 million coming from international box office receipts.
To promote the film, Elle Fanning, Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, and Trachtenberg attended special events, including a red-carpet screening at the BFI Imax Waterloo in London, an MCM Comic-con panel, and a chat at SDCC Malaga.
Predator: Badlands isn't the only adult-oriented film hitting North American screens. Other releases expected to gross in the low millions include Christy, Nuremberg, Sarah's Oil, and Die My Love, each bringing unique stories and star power to the big screen.
