'Predator: Badlands' Roars to Series-Best Debut, Scoring Big with Critics and Fans!

'Predator: Badlands' Stalks Box Office with Near-Record Opening and Franchise-Best Reviews

The Predator is back, and this time, it's hunting for box office records. 20th Century Studios' *Predator: Badlands* is poised for a strong opening weekend, estimated to reach around $37 million. This figure puts it within striking distance of becoming the franchise's highest-grossing debut. The film stormed into theaters with a $15.6 million haul on Friday, including preview screenings, signaling a promising run.

'Predator: Badlands' Roars to Series-Best Debut, S...

But the real victory for *Predator: Badlands* lies in its audience reception. The film has earned an "A-" CinemaScore, a franchise-best that surpasses the "B+" grades received by the original 1987 *Predator* and its 1990 sequel. This positive sentiment is further amplified by a strong 78% "definite recommend" rating and a five-star score on Screen Engine/Comscore's PostTrak survey, a rare platinum achievement for any movie.

The film's success is being fueled

The film's success is being fueled by its dominance of IMAX and other premium large format screens, which account for a significant 53% of its weekend gross. Geographically, *Predator: Badlands* is performing particularly well in the South Central and West regions of the United States, with the latter contributing a higher-than-average percentage of the film's overall revenue. The AMC Burbank theater in Los Angeles is currently the top-performing location for the film, having generated over $59,000 in revenue to date.

While *Predator: Badlands* is enjoying a successful launch, other films are experiencing varying degrees of success. *Regretting You* continues its strong performance, heading towards a $100 million total gross. *Black Phone 2* is seeing a decline in its fourth week, while *Nuremberg* is generating solid buzz with strong PostTrak scores despite mixed critical reviews.

However, not all films are thriving. *Die My Love*, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson, is facing a significant disconnect between critics and audiences. Despite a 78% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has received a dismal "D+" CinemaScore and a low 29% "definite recommend" on PostTrak, potentially spelling trouble for its box office prospects.