‘Predator: Badlands’ Heads For Near Franchise Record Opening Of $37M, ‘A-’ CinemaScore Is Best Ever For Series

Lead

20th Century Studios’ Predator: Badlands is tracking toward a near-franchise-record domestic opening of roughly $37 million after strong early returns, including a Friday/previews tally reported at $15.6 million and an unprecedented A- CinemaScore for the series. Early audience metrics such as a 78% definite-recommend PostTrak and five-star responses reinforce positive word of mouth. The film’s PG-13 rating and repositioning of the franchise villain as protagonist appear to have helped broaden interest beyond initial expectations. If sustained, the weekend will place Badlands among the top openings in the Predator line since 2004’s Alien vs. Predator ($38.2M).

Key Takeaways

• Estimated opening: around $37M for Predator: Badlands, approaching the franchise record of $38.2M from 2004’s Alien vs. Predator.
• Friday/previews: reported at $15.6M; earlier breakdowns cite $4.8M in midweek previews that contributed to Friday totals.
• CinemaScore: A-, the best audience grade in the Predator series (previous bests were B+ for 1987 and 1990 films).
• Audience endorsement: Screen Engine/Comscore PostTrak definite recommend at 78% with five-star ratings — unusually strong for this IP.
• Demographics: older males remain the core at 57% (up from 45% on the 2018 film); 13–17s represent just 5% of the audience despite the PG-13 rating.
• Formats and regions: premium formats (IMAX/PLF) are driving 53% of weekend grosses; the West and South Central regions are especially strong.
• Production cost: reported at $105M net before marketing; shot in New Zealand utilizing tax incentives.
• Social reach: Badlands’ pre-release social footprint measured about 244M across major platforms, comparable to Alien: Romulus’s 246M.

Background

The Predator franchise, conceived by Jim and John Thomas, debuted in 1987 and has alternated between theatrical reboots and smaller streamer-led projects. The series’ audience scores historically skewed mid-range — with original 1987 Predator and 1990’s Predator 2 earning B+ CinemaScores — until Prey (2022), director Dan Trachtenberg’s Hulu release, revived critical and fan interest. Prey’s strong streaming performance helped reset studio thinking about theatrical potential for the property.

Studios have experimented with tone, rating and marketing over successive entries. 2018’s The Predator (R-rated) and 2010’s Predators landed similar opening ranges (around $24–25M), but campaigns were criticized for lacking clear differentiation. Badlands attempts a different tack by recentering the narrative around a young Yautja protagonist and adopting a PG-13 rating to broaden potential reach while leaning into sci-fi spectacle and franchise lore.

Main Event

Over its early run into the Friday totals, Predator: Badlands amassed a combined preview and Friday figure reported at $15.6M; separate reporting also notes $4.8M in Wednesday/Thursday previews and a Friday aggregate near $14M in some tallies. That momentum projects to a weekend near $37M, which would be the second-best or nearly the best domestic opening for the series depending on final returns.

Director/producer/writer Dan Trachtenberg and producers Ben Rosenblatt and John Davis have positioned the film as a tonal successor to the world-building of Prey while expanding scope. Audiences who saw the film in early shows and fans at panels — including a prominent Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic-Con — have amplified enthusiasm, citing both spectacle and lore expansion as selling points.

The marketing leaned into action and creature spectacle rather than single-character portraiture; one-sheets and trailers emphasized large-scale combat and creature design. Despite the rating change from R to PG-13, the film’s audience composition skewed older, with males over 25 representing a significant share and only 5% from the 13–17 demo. Premium-format screens are outsized contributors to grosses, and top-performing locations like AMC Burbank have posted impressive per-theater totals (over $59K to date).

Analysis & Implications

Badlands’ stronger-than-forecast start suggests effective word of mouth and audience receptivity to a franchise reset that mixes familiar beats with new mythology. The A- CinemaScore and high PostTrak recommend rate (78% definite recommend; five-star reads) indicate that viewers are not only attending but actively endorsing the picture, a positive sign for legs beyond opening weekend.

Commercially, the film benefits from a production budget reported at $105M before marketing — substantially lower than recent tentpoles like Tron: Ares (reported $220M). That cost structure raises the break-even threshold modestly and improves return prospects if Badlands sustains box-office multiples beyond opening. The film’s premium-format skew (53% PLF/IMAX share) also inflates per-ticket revenue compared with a standard domestic release.

Strategically, moving the antagonist to a protagonist role and leaning into franchise lore creates franchise continuity while opening narrative avenues for future installments or crossovers. International performance and marketing cadence will determine whether this becomes a revitalized theatrical arm for the IP or a strong but isolated success bolstered by fandom and eventized opening-weekend behavior.

Comparison & Data

The table highlights that Badlands sits close to the franchise record with a materially larger preview footprint than some recent entries. While Romulus posted higher previews and a larger opening, differences in rating (R vs. PG-13), release timing and marketing spend complicate direct apples-to-apples comparisons. Premium-format concentration and regional strength in the West and South Central are additional explanatory factors for the early box-office outperformance.

Reactions & Quotes

Industry and audience reactions have skewed positive, and trade/social-data firms noted enthusiastic commentary about the franchise expansion.

“Conversation runs positive for Predator: Badlands as fans are lit up at the idea of expanding the Yautja universe beyond Earth, praising its young-blood narrative and connections to Prey and Predators (2010).”

RelishMix (social data firm)

RelishMix summarized social chatter that applauded the film’s lore depth and ‘proving hunt’ concept; that sentiment appears to translate into high recommendation rates and positive audience grades.

“The film earned an A- CinemaScore — the best for any Predator title — and PostTrak reports 78% definite recommend with five-star feedback.”

Box office reporting (studio/audience metrics)

Those audience-lift metrics were cited by distribution and tracking outlets and suggest stronger word-of-mouth than earlier franchise entries that earned B+ levels in CinemaScore.

Unconfirmed

• Exact weekend final: the projection (~$37M) is preliminary and depends on Sunday and Monday returns; studio confirmation awaited.
• Some reporting splits Friday totals between $14M and $15.6M depending on whether midweek previews are counted; full reconciled figures are pending.
• International box-office trajectory and final marketing spend numbers have not been fully disclosed and will affect profitability estimates.

Bottom Line

Predator: Badlands has emerged as a breakout theatrical moment for the franchise so far, combining strong audience grades, high recommend rates and premium-format traction to push toward a near-record domestic opening. The film’s lower production cost relative to recent mega-budget tentpoles improves the commercial calculus if it sustains decent multiples in subsequent weeks.

Key watch items for the coming days are Sunday hold, international openings, and the film’s week-two drop; each will determine whether Badlands is a rebooted franchise pillar or a strong one-weekend phenomenon bolstered by fandom and premium-format sales. Studio updates and box-office tallies will clarify final placement versus the $38.2M franchise record.

Sources

• Deadline — Trade reporting / Box-office update
• Comscore / Screen Engine PostTrak — Audience metrics (industry data)
• CinemaScore — Audience grade reporting