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Predator: Badlands Breaks Franchise Opening Record, Stirs Canon Questions

Strong audience scores and a PG-13, buddy-adventure pivot broadened turnout as Weyland‑Yutani ties and tone shifts draw online pushback.

Overview

  • The film opened to $80 million worldwide, including $40 million domestic, outperforming projections and setting a new high for the series’ debut weekend.
  • Reception metrics are robust, with roughly 85% from critics and 95% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes and an A- CinemaScore, the best in the franchise.
  • Director Dan Trachtenberg’s reinvention centers a Yautja protagonist and leans into a PG-13, buddy-adventure tone that expanded the audience beyond the franchise’s traditional R-rated base.
  • Explicit use of Alien’s Weyland‑Yutani brand has intensified debate over where the movie fits in Predator continuity, with some outlets arguing it belongs to a separate crossover track.
  • At a reported $105 million, it is the costliest Predator entry, and coverage notes sequel or crossover talk remains speculative with no follow-up officially announced.