Predator: Badlands, directed by Dan Trachtenberg, grossed $80 million from theatres worldwide in its opening weekend, reports Variety. Thus, it has gained the highest opening for any film in the Predator franchise in its almost-40-year-long history. Shane Black’s 2018 film, The Predator, a franchise reboot, held the previous record, minting $73.5 million in its opening weekend at the time.
In the North American market alone, the film, starring Dimitrius Schuster Koloamatangi and Elle Fanning, grossed $40 million. It gained the rest of the $40 million from theatres elsewhere. China, the UK, and Mexico are the three markets outside of the US where the film minted the most money.
The ninth entry in the franchise, Predator: Badlands tells the story of Dek, a rookie predator and a member of the so-called Yautja clan, who must show his father that he is strong. Dek's only way to prove his mettle is to defeat a near-indestructible creature called Kalisk in a planet known as Genna.
The PG-13-rated film has opened to generally positive reviews from both critics and audiences alike. Almost every other film in the franchise has an R rating, and Badlands' PG-13 rating appears to play a part in its broader appeal among the family audience worldwide.
