“Predator: Badlands” clawed its way to $80 million at the global box office, ranking as the biggest debut in the nearly 40-year-old franchise. Director Shane Black’s 2018 reboot “The Predator” previously held the record with $73.5 million, not adjusted for inflation.
Those ticket sales include $40 million in North America and $40 million in 52 international markets. “Badlands” also overtook the domestic record from 2004’s “Alien vs. Predator” with $38 million, also not adjusted for inflation. Meanwhile, this marks the franchise’s second-best international start after “The Predator” with $48.9 million. Top overseas markets were China with $7.4 million, the United Kingdom with $3.2 million and Mexico with $2.3 million.
Dan Trachtenberg directed “Predator: Badlands,” which is the ninth installment in the series and the first theatrical entry since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox. That’s where the franchise began, with 1987’s “Predator,” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Trachtenberg returned after helming the two most recent “Predator” adventures, 2022’s “Prey” and this June’s animated “Predator: Killer of Killers,” both of which skipped theaters and landed directly on Hulu. This chapter cost $105 million to produce and follows an outcast alien hunter (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) and his unlikely ally (Elle Fanning), who embark on a dangerous journey to defeat a menacing adversary.
“Badlands” is benefiting from several factors, including solid reviews, stellar word-of-mouth and outsized interest on Imax and other pricier premium-large-format screens. And this film is rated PG-13 (most of the other “Predator” films are rated R), which is broadening its appeal to family crowds rather than just the target demographic of boys and men.
“Predator: Badlands” is reinvigorating the box office after a dismal October. November should remain strong with “Wicked: For Good” and “Zootopia 2” around Thanksgiving, while December offerings like “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2,” Sydney Sweeney’s psychological thriller “The Housemaid” and “Avatar: Fire and Ash” should help end the year on a high.
Elsewhere at the box office, Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” is nearing a major milestone. The comedic action thriller, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, has earned $196.8 million globally (including $127.4 million overseas) and will soon surpass the $200 million mark. That’s a notable benchmark for an original, R-rated film that’s nearly three hours long. It’s by far the highest-grossing film of Anderson’s career, overtaking the 2007 Western “There Will Be Blood,” which earned $76.4 million globally. And it’s likely to be a major Oscar player in the new year. However, Warner Bros. spent more than $130 million on the film, and since theater owners get to keep about 50% of ticket sales, “One Battle After Another” is tracking to lose $100 million in its theatrical run.
In another benchmark, Sony’s “Chainsaw Man – the Movie: Reze Arc” has surpassed $150 million worldwide. The anime adventure has grossed $158 million to date, including $121 million internationally and $38 million domestically. “Chainsaw Man” is the second consecutive win for Sony’s Crunchyroll banner following September’s sleeper hit “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle,” which is the biggest anime film ever with $591 million globally.