Box Office: ‘Predator: Badlands’ Ignites to Series-Best $80 Million Globally, ‘One Battle After Another’ Nears $200 Million

“Predator: Badlands” clawed its way to $80 million at the global box office, ranking as the biggest debut in the nearly 40-year-old franchise. Director Shane Black’s 2018 reboot “The Predator” previously held the record with $73.5 million, not adjusted for inflation.

Those ticket sales include $40 million in North America and $40 million in 52 international markets. “Badlands” also overtook the domestic record from 2004’s “Alien vs. Predator” with $38 million, also not adjusted for inflation. Meanwhile this marks the franchise’s second-best international start after “The Predator” with $48.9 million. Top overseas markets were China with $7.4 million, the United Kingdom with $3.2 million and Mexico with $2.3 million.

Dan Trachtenberg directed “Predator: Badlands,” which is the ninth installment in the series and the first theatrical entry since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox. That’s where the franchise began, with 1987’s “Predator,” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Trachtenberg returned after helming the two most recent “Predator” adventures, 2022’s “Prey” and this…