The new 20th Century and Disney reboot, Predator: Badlands, opened to a stunning $36–38 million, far surpassing pre-release expectations of $25 million. The film’s strong debut marks the top opening for a standalone Predator movie and positions it to rival AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004) as the franchise’s highest-grossing installment.
Critics and Audiences Applaud
Predator: Badlands received glowing reviews, earning an A- CinemaScore — the first for any film in the franchise, including the Alien crossovers. PostTrak audience ratings were equally enthusiastic, with five out of five stars. Director Dan Trachtenberg co-created the story with Prey writer Patrick Aison, flipping the script by making the Predator, Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), a protagonist alongside Elle Fanning’s synthetic Thia.
Other Box Office Highlights
- Regretting You continues to impress in its third weekend, holding at $7.3 million and a domestic total of $38.8 million, surpassing Black Phone 2 in staying power.
- Black Phone 2 earned an estimated $5.2 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its domestic total to $70 million.
- Sarah’s Oil, Amazon MGM’s faith-based true story, opened at $4.4 million with a rare A+ CinemaScore and 97% audience approval on Rotten Tomatoes.
- Nuremberg, a historical drama from Sony Pictures Classics, is expected to reach $3.7–4 million in its opening weekend, earning critical and audience acclaim.
Struggling Awards Contenders
Some high-profile films struggled despite critical praise:
- Die My Love (Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Pattinson) earned a D+ CinemaScore and 44% audience rating.
- Christy (Sydney Sweeney) received positive reviews and a B+ CinemaScore, but may not crack the top 10.
Limited Releases Shine
Neon’s Sentimental Value, opening in four New York and Los Angeles theaters, is showing a strong per-location average of approximately $50,000, signaling early awards-season buzz.
For more film news, stay tuned to Que Onda Magazine.