Director Dan Trachtenberg's latest installment in the iconic science-fiction franchise, "Predator: Badlands," has made a significant impact in its theatrical debut, vastly exceeding box office expectations. With an opening that garnered both critical praise and overwhelming audience approval, the film is poised to revitalize the "Predator" series, building on the positive reception of Trachtenberg's previous works, "Prey" and the animated "Predator: Killer of Killers."

"Predator: Badlands" grossed over $15 million on its first day of release, a figure that includes approximately $5 million from Thursday previews. These strong initial numbers have propelled projections for its opening weekend to approximately $40 million, comfortably surpassing earlier forecasts of $25 million to $30 million. This performance positions "Badlands" as a major success, especially when compared to other recent genre releases. While it trails "Alien: Romulus," which opened to $42 million last year, "Badlands" significantly outperformed the franchise's last theatrical offering, Shane Black's "The Predator," which made $24 million in its first weekend. It also surpassed the 2010 film "Predators" and the recent "John Wick" spin-off, "From the World of John Wick: Ballerina," both of which grossed $24 million in their respective debuts. The film even has an outside chance of achieving the biggest theatrical opening in the "Predator" franchise's history, a record currently held by the 2004 crossover "Alien vs. Predator" with $38 million.

The film's financial success is complemented by stellar reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, "Predator: Badlands" boasts a "certified fresh" critics score of 85%. The critical consensus highlights Trachtenberg's continued ability to steer the franchise in "exciting new directions," describing the film as a "rollicking adventure that transforms one of cinema's most iconic brutes into a hero worth rooting for." Collider's Ross Bonaime further lauded Trachtenberg, noting his expansion of the franchise's universe in "new, inventive, and truly exciting ways," and calling his involvement "one of the smartest moves this franchise has ever made." This critical acclaim echoes the success of Trachtenberg's 2022 prequel, "Prey," which debuted directly on digital platforms and earned a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Audiences have been equally enthusiastic, awarding "Predator: Badlands" a franchise-best 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. On CinemaScore, it earned a fabulous "A-" grade, signifying near-unanimous approval and strong recommendation potential among moviegoers. This mark surpasses the previous franchise bests of "B+" earned by both the original "Predator" and "Predator 2" over three decades ago, and stands in stark contrast to the "C+" received by Shane Black's "The Predator," which was met with controversy post-release. "Badlands" was produced with a budget of $105 million, a substantial increase from "Prey's" reported $65 million, reflecting confidence in Trachtenberg's vision. The movie, rated PG-13, stars newcomer Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as a young Predator outcast and Elle Fanning as his legless android companion. It was released on November 5, 2025, with a runtime of 107 minutes.

The film's strong debut is a welcome injection of energy into the domestic box office, which has recently experienced a lull. In comparison to other films released alongside "Badlands," Lynne Ramsay’s "Die My Love," starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson, struggled with a "D+" CinemaScore. Similarly, Sydney Sweeney's "Christy" received a "B+", while the faith-based drama "Sarah's Oil" garnered a rare perfect "A+" CinemaScore. Russell Crowe and Rami Malek's "Nuremberg" also debuted with positive reviews but less stellar box office numbers. "Predator: Badlands" stands out not only for its impressive financial performance but also for its overwhelmingly positive critical and audience reception, proving to be a highlight of the current cinematic landscape.