With $130 million at the box office, Predator: Badlands crosses its initial budget

Predator: Badlands is going steady at the box office as the film crosses $130 million at the box office, surpassing its budget of $105 million and making back the money spent to produce it. With just one week at theaters, the film has seen a positive climate in terms of reviews, ratings, and earnings, making it the third biggest film in the franchise.

The film also has an 85% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a high score compared to previous iterations of the franchise. CinemaScore gave Predator: Badlands an A-, while Metacritic has an approval rate of 71.

The official synopsis of the film reads,

"Predator: Badlands," which stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, is set in the future on a remote planet, where a young Predator (Schuster-Koloamatangi), outcast from his clan, finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Fanning) and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.

More details about Predator: Badlands

Predator: Badlands arrives in 2025 as the ninth chapter in the long-running Predator saga, bringing a new angle to the series with a science fiction action story that leans into character-driven tension and survival. Directed by Dan Trachtenberg and written by Patrick Aison, working from a story they developed together, the film centers on Elle Fanning, who plays two roles, and Dimitrius Schuster Koloamatangi at the center of its narrative that tackles action, science, and humanity.

The plot follows Dek, a young Yautja exiled for being a runt, who crashes onto a hostile world and is forced to fight for his future. His only lifeline becomes Thia, a damaged synthetic created by the Weyland Yutani Corporation, and their uneasy partnership pushes both of them into a confrontation with a terrifying apex creature that tests instinct, loyalty, and identity.

The film’s development began in February 2024, with Trachtenberg returning after Prey in 2022 and Predator: Killer of Killers in 2025. Patrick Aison joined him once again as co-writer. Several other writers, including Brian Duffield, Bryan Fuller, Patrick Somerville, and Ben Schwartz, contributed additional material. Trachtenberg cited inspirations ranging from Frank Frazetta and Terrence Malick to Conan the Barbarian, Drax the Destroyer, Mad Max 2, Shane, The Book of Eli, Clint Eastwood westerns, and the video game Shadow of the Colossus.

Joining Fanning in the film are Schuster-Koloamatangi, Reuben De Jong, Mike Homik, Stefan Grube, Rohinal Narayan, Cameron Brown, Alison Wright, and the Duffer Brothers.

The score for Predator: Badlands was composed by Sarah Schachner and Benjamin Wallfisch, both returning collaborators from earlier entries in the franchise. The film was showcased at San Diego Comic Con in Hall H and premiered in the United Kingdom at BFI IMAX on October 28, 2025.