For a franchise that began with jungle warfare and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s iconic one-liners, Predator has come a long way. Now, with Predator: Badlands officially crowned the highest-grossing entry in the franchise (including the Alien vs. Predator films), it’s clear audiences aren’t done with the Yautja just yet. The latest instalment, directed by Dan Trachtenberg, has pulled in more than US$174 million worldwide at the time of writing according to Box Office Mojo, inching past 2018’s The Predator and 2004’s Alien vs. Predator. That figure includes US$85 million from North American theatres and US$89 million internationally, a healthy total despite stiff competition from Zootopia 2 and Wicked: For Good.
Much of the credit for this resurgence goes to Trachtenberg, who has now helmed three Predator projects that each take the franchise in a new direction. First came Prey in 2022, which stripped the series down to survival horror in 18th-century America. That was followed by the stylised animated anthology Predator: Killer of Killers, and now Predator: Badlands, which pivots again – this time into a more mainstream sci-fi action film with a PG-13 rating. Rather than sticking to the hunter-versus-hunted template, Predator: Badlands turns the spotlight onto the Predator himself for the first time in the series, positioning him as the protagonist.
Played by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, Dek is a young Yautja with something to prove. To earn his father’s respect, he heads to a brutal death planet in pursuit of an apex creature. Along the way, he encounters Thia, an abandoned Weyland-Yutani android portrayed by Elle Fanning. Their unlikely bond introduces emotional stakes rarely seen in the franchise, while nodding to the wider Alien-Predator universe. Fans have long speculated about when the two properties would formally cross paths again, and this film edges closer than ever.
Despite Predator: Badlands topping the franchise charts, box office profitability isn’t guaranteed. With a production budget reportedly north of US$100 million and marketing costs on top of that, the film needs to continue performing well in post-theatrical markets to justify a sequel. It likely won’t hit the US$200 million milestone before closing its theatrical run, but that doesn’t necessarily spell doom.
For now, Predator: Badlands sits atop the box office throne for the franchise, giving fans a rare win and Disney a viable blueprint for what’s next. Whether that’s a direct sequel, a new era of Alien crossovers, or even the return of Dutch himself, there’s momentum here that can’t be ignored.
Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, and anime — you name it. When she’s not reading or being a dedicated cinephile, she’s probably playing gacha and tabletop games, or daydreaming of Caleb from Love and Deepspace.
Kevin Low
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