This weekend, 20th Century Studios’ Predator: Badlands opened No. 1 at the global box office with an estimated $80 million, delivering the strongest global opening in the Predator franchise’s nearly 40-year history. The opening also helped power The Walt Disney Studios past the $4 billion mark at the global box office for the fourth consecutive year.
Predator: Badlands also opened No. 1 at the domestic box office with an estimated $40 million in ticket sales, which is also a record for the Predator franchise. Internationally, the film brought in an estimated $40 million in box office receipts as well.
This is the first Predator film to open theatrically after Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox in 2019, and the level of opening reflects the strength and value of this long-term franchise to the theatrical market.
But, this isn’t the first success that Disney has had with the franchise, as Predator: Badlands — from director Dan Trachtenberg — comes after Disney has already produced two Predator installments that have been massive hits on streaming.
In 2020, Steve Asbell, President, 20th Century Studios, and Scott Aversano, Executive Vice President, 20th Century Studios, began developing Prey — set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago — with Trachtenberg and screenwriter Patrick Aison. Produced by Trachtenberg and Ben Rosenblatt, the film was released on Hulu in 2022 to critical acclaim — evidenced by a 94% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes — and commercial success, becoming the service’s biggest debut at the time of its release.
Based on that success, Trachtenberg pitched two exciting new Predator ideas that were not traditional sequels: an animated anthology film, and a new, riskier concept for a story where the Predator would be seen like never before: as the protagonist.
Disney agreed and immediately began developing both projects.
That animated anthology film became Predator: Killer of Killers, which was released on Hulu in June 2025 to extraordinary acclaim, garnering a 95% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film was also a tremendous success in terms of viewership on the platform.
In 2023, the team of director Trachtenberg, writer Aison, and producer Rosenblatt reassembled to begin development on Predator: Badlands. Beyond its already extraordinary theatrical success, this film continues the streak of acclaimed Predator installments, sitting at a stellar 95% “Verified Moviegoer” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and an 85% critics score on the service.
Predator: Badlands has kicked off the fall box office in a big way, and that’s not all that’s coming from Disney.
Later this month, on November 26, Walt Disney Animation Studios is releasing the highly anticipated Zootopia 2, the sequel to the billion dollar-grossing Zootopia.
And, on December 19, 20th Century Studios will be back with Avatar: Fire and Ash from legendary filmmaker James Cameron. This is the third installment of the Avatar franchise, which has not only pioneered groundbreakingly innovative cinematic techniques, but is also a box office juggernaut, with the previous two films in the franchise accounting for two of the three biggest box office hauls globally of all time.
