As Predator: Badlands turns out to be the number one film globally, collecting $80 million in its opening weekend, Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, the film is his third project in the Predator universe.
Produced with a budget of $105 million, the film’s strong performance delighted Walt Disney Co.’s 20th Century Studios. The movie scored 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and earned an A- on CinemaScore, reflecting strong audience approval. The Predator series, which began in 1987, continues to attract viewers with its thrilling action and fresh storyline.
Actor Dhanush praised Predator: Badlands in a post on X, writing, “PREDATOR – badlands. WOW .. JUST WOW. A MARVEL .. A great tribute to OG predator fans.” The latest film in the Predator franchise, written and directed by Dan Trachtenberg, opened to massive success with $80 million worldwide. In the US, it earned $40 million, marking the highest domestic debut for any Predator movie. The sci-fi thriller surpassed Alien vs Predator (2004), which had held the record with a $38.3 million opening nearly two decades ago.
PREDATOR – badlands. WOW .. JUST WOW. A MARVEL .. A great tribute to OG predator fans.
— Dhanush (@dhanushkraja) November 9, 2025
Storyline and Cast Draw Global Attention
The film stars Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as a young outcast Predator who teams up with android researcher Elle Fanning on a distant planet. The story explores the bond between the two as they confront new dangers in the alien world. Critics and fans praised the film for balancing nostalgia with modern storytelling.
Trachtenberg focused on portraying the Predator as the central character, giving fans a new perspective on the iconic creature. The film’s visual effects and intense action sequences have also received widespread acclaim.
In the United States, Predator: Badlands showed a minor 10 percent dip from Friday to Saturday, maintaining steady box office numbers.
The film opened with $15.6 million on November 7 and earned an additional $14 million on November 8. With upcoming holidays in the US, industry experts expect the film to continue performing well domestically.
This success marks another milestone for Trachtenberg, whose previous works include Prey (2022) and Predator: Killer of Killers. The director’s consistent vision and storytelling continue to redefine the long-running Predator franchise.
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Swastika Sruti is a Senior Sub Editor at NewsX Digital with 5 years of experience shaping stories that matter. She loves tracking politics- national and global trends, and never misses a chance to dig deeper into policies and developments. Passionate about what’s happening around us, she brings sharp insight and clarity to every piece she works on. When not curating news, she’s busy exploring what’s next in the world of public interest. You can reach her at [swastika.newsx@gmail.com]
