The Predator is on the hunt at the box office this weekend.
20th Century Studios’ “Predator: Badlands,” the ninth movie in the franchise and the first theatrically released “Predator” movie from Disney, has made $4.8 million in previews at the box office.
The PG-13 film, another first for the traditionally R-rated action series, is on track to make $25 million to $30 million in its opening weekend. A debut in that range would make it the second-highest launch for a “Predator” movie, behind the 2004 sci-fi crossover “Alien vs. Predator” which opened to $38 million. That would also put it above the 2010 and 2018 pair of reboots, creatively titled “Predators” and “The Predator,” which both opened to around $24 million. With a $105 million budget plus marketing costs, Disney is hoping “Badlands” can use its broader PG-13 appeal to hunt down a profit after disappointing returns from last month’s “Tron: Ares” and “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.”
For the first time, a Predator protagonist takes center stage in “Badlands.” Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi plays Dek, an outcast Predator, who meets Thia (Elle Fanning), a damaged Weyland-Yutani synthetic from the “Alien” franchise, during a hunt for a deadly beast on an even deadlier planet. They’re both on the run from the ruthless synth Tessa (played by Fanning in a double role) and must reluctantly team up to better their chances of survival. Dan Trachtenberg directs after helming the 2022 prequel “Prey” and this summer’s animated spinoff “Predator: Killer of Killers,” both released direct to streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
“Predator: Badlands” will easily top the charts after a disastrous October box office. Other new releases this weekend include Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson’s “Die My Love,” historical drama “Nuremberg,” Sydney Sweeney’s boxing biopic “Christy” and Amazon MGM’s inspirational true story “Sarah’s Oil,” but none are expected to surpass $5 million.
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