The Dan Trachtenberg directed Predator: Badlands speared $4.8 million in previews, which includes both Wednesday fan and Thursday night shows.

The preview number is under another sci-fi genre title Alien: Romulus‘ $6.5M which was another franchise reboot for the revived 20th Century Studios under new owner Disney. That Fede Alvarez directed revival went on to open to $42M stateside. But keep in mind that movie was R-rated and had a mid-August release in 2024. Also, Predator: Badlands in its female action hero sensibility is also getting comped by Disney sources to Ballerina, which did $3.8M in previews before a $24.5M opening. Badlands previews are also ahead of 2017’s Blade Runner 2049 which did $3.5M before a $12.5M Friday, and 3-day of $32.7M.

Also good news for Badlands at this point in time, total previews here are ahead of The Predator which did $2.5M in Thursday previews back in September 2018. That pic posted a $10.3M Friday on its way to a $24.6M start.

2004 crossover title Alien vs. Predator owns the franchise opening record at the domestic B.O. with $38.2M. 2010’s Predators from director Nimród Antal and produced by Robert Rodriguez follows as the second best U.S./Canada opening for the series at $24.7M. The forecast going into the weekend for Badlands was $25M+, hopefully the second best start in the Predator franchise.

1987’s Predator and 1990’s Predator 2 own the best CinemaScores for the Jim and John Thomas conceived series with a B+.

Predator: Badlands cost before marketing $105M net, shot in New Zealand with tax credits. Trachtenberg breathed new life into the Predator movies with the direct-to-Hulu Prey which was the streamers most watched premiere ever at the time in August 2022. Critics believed the movie should have been booked in theaters, hence, here we are with Badlands.

On the Rotten Tomatoes audience scale, Badlands is currently the fan favorite of the franchise with 96% ahead of the original 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie at 87%. Prey remains the most critically acclaimed in the alien series at 94%.

Amazon MGM Studios release of Kingdom Story’s Sarah’s Oil posted $460K in previews. The
Cyrus Nowrasteh directed faith-based movie starring Zachary Levi, Sonequa Martin-Green and Garrett Dillahunt follows the true story of 11-year old Sarah Rector, an African American girl born in Oklahoma Indian Territory in the early 1900s, who believes there is oil beneath the barren land she’s allotted and whose faith is proven right. No RT or audience scores.

Black Bear Finance’s first domestic theatrical release under its new arm, Christy, starring Sydney Sweeney as female boxer Christy Martin, posted $400K in previews last night. RT reviews stand at 67% fresh. The pic is going wide in north of 2,000.

Sony Pictures Classics and Walden Media’s WWII drama Nuremberg, booked at 1,700 theaters this weekend, started off with $210K last night in previews. The James Vanderbilt directed and co-written movie stands at 71% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes from 76 reviews.

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