The Make or Break Moment For This $443 Million Sci-Fi Franchise

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Predator: Badlands is the next film in the iconic Predator franchise, and it will prove just how invested audiences are in the beloved sci-fi series. The Predator franchise has had a lot of ups and downs, but it has been riding high in recent years, something that fans of the franchise hope Predator: Badlands will continue.

The Predator franchise is one of the most beloved sci-fi franchises of all time, with it consistently getting new releases since the original was released in 1987. However, many of the sequels didn’t live up to the original, with Predator 2, The Predator, and the Alien vs. Predator movies all being commercial disappointments.

2010’s Predators was well-received and did garner a cult following, but it wasn’t nearly as big of a hit as the original film. Although the franchise was dormant for a few years after the failure of 2018’s The Predator, things have gotten back on track thanks to the series’ streaming history, something Predator: Badlands will benefit from.

Predator’s Reputation Has Been Restored Through Streaming Recently

Thanks To Prey & Predator: Killer Of Killers

Although the reputation of the Predator franchise was not great after the 2018 revival, things finally started getting better in 2022. This was when the prequel movie Prey was released on streaming, with some considering it to be the best entry in the Predator franchise. It was a big hit, proving that Predator could still be great.

2025 saw the release of the follow-up, Predator: Killer of Killers. Dan Trachtenberg returned to direct this film, with it being an animated anthology that shows Predators on Earth in different eras. This too was a big critical hit, with it setting high hopes for Trachtenberg’s third Predator movie, 2025’s Predator: Badlands.

Predator: Badlands Will Show Just How Much Audiences Are Interested In The Franchise

The Film’s Box Office Will Answer This Question

Predator: Badlands differs from Trachtenberg’s previous two Predator films in a big way: it is being released in theaters. This will be the first theatrically released Predator movie since 2018, meaning that a lot is riding on this one.

Predator: Badlands‘ box office return will measure whether the streaming movies successfully made audiences hungry for a blockbuster Predator movie. Prey and Predator: Killer of Killers were good, but it is hard to measure their success due to streaming numbers not being made available.

Elle Fanning in The roads not taken scared and Predator Prey

It Concerns Me That Predator’s Next Movie Is Exactly The Opposite Of 2022’s Excellent Prey

The upcoming new Predator movie, Predator: Badlands, will see the franchise pivot away from the elements that made its predecessor Prey successful.

Predator: Badlands‘ success will be directly measurable thanks to its box office numbers, and hopefully it is a big success. Trachtenberg has spent the past few years attempting to rehabilitate the Predator franchise, getting rid of the stain of The Predator. Predator: Badlands is the culmination of this strategy, and it needs to pay off.