Predator: Badlands reached $80 million at the global box office, ranking it as the biggest debut in the nearly 40-year-old franchise. Shane Black’s 2018 reboot “The Predator” previously held the record with $73.5 million, not adjusted for inflation.
These ticket sales include $40 million in North America and $40 million in 52 international markets. “Badlands” also overtook the domestic record of 2004’s “Alien vs. Predator” with $38 million, not adjusted for inflation. Meanwhile, it was the second-best overseas start for the series behind “The Predator” with $48.9 million. The top overseas markets were China with $7.4 million, the UK with $3.2 million, and Mexico with $2.3 million.
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, Predator: Badlands is the ninth movie in the series and the first theatrical release since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox. That’s where the series began, with 1987’s Predator starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Trachtenberg returns after helming two new Predator adventures, 2022’s Prey and this June’s animated Predator: Killer of Killers, both of which skipped theatrical releases and went straight to Hulu. This chapter cost $105 million to produce and tells the story of an exiled alien hunter (Demetrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) and his unlikely ally (Elle Fanning) as they embark on a perilous journey to defeat a menacing enemy.
“Badlands” has benefited from several factors, including solid reviews, good word of mouth, and significant interest on Imax and other pricier premium large-format screens. And the movie is rated PG-13 (most of the other “Predator” movies are rated R), which broadens its appeal to families as well as boys and men.
“Predator: Badlands” is reinvigorating a disastrous October box office. November will continue to be strong with “Wicked: For Good” and “Zootopia 2” around Thanksgiving, while December will see films like “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2,” Sidney Sweeney’s psychological thriller “The Housemaid,” and “Avatar: Fire and Ashes” help end the year on a high.
On other fronts at the box office, Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” is approaching a major milestone. The comedy-action thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio grossed $196.8 million worldwide (including $127.4 million overseas) and will soon cross the $200 million mark. That’s a notable benchmark for an original R-rated movie that’s nearly three hours long. The film was by far the highest-grossing film of Anderson’s career, surpassing the 2007 Western There Will Be Blood, which earned $76.4 million worldwide. And he’s likely to be a major Oscar contender in the new year. But since Warner Bros. spent more than $130 million on the film and theater owners get to keep about 50% of ticket sales, One Battle After Another will lose $100 million in theaters.
In another benchmark, Sony’s “Chainsaw Man the Movie: Red Edition” grossed over $150 million worldwide. The animated adventure has grossed $158 million to date, including $121 million internationally and $38 million domestically. “Chainsaw Man” is the second consecutive award for Sony’s Crunchyroll banner, following September’s sleeper hit “Demon Slayer: Mugen Castle,” which was the biggest animated film of all time with $591 million worldwide.
