Disney has two new Predator movies in development, which logically should combine to help the franchise pass a certain milestone. The Predator movie franchise has always been a strange one. The first entry is considered a solid gold classic (as it should), but many of the follow-ups struggled to match its success. Each subsequent outing followed new characters, and each teased a direct sequel that never happened. Hulu exclusive Prey appears to have finally broken that trend, as the prequel received both record viewing numbers and critical acclaim; naturally, Prey 2 is in the works.
After decades of trying to find its footing, the Predator franchise appears to be finally embracing an anthology approach. In early February 2024, it was confirmed that Preydirector Dan Trachtenberg was returning to helm a sequel dubbed Badlands, which has no connection to Prey 2. Instead, Badlands will be set in the future, and like Prey before it, will feature a female protagonist. While it’s unknown if Badlands will debut in theaters, given the success that greeted Prey, this almost feels like a natural upgrade.
The Predator franchise consists of 7 oddly-named films. With Prey changing the game yet again, we rank every movie in the series from worst to best.
Prey 2 & Badlands Could Finally Make Predator A $1 Billion Movie Franchise
has always been compared to the Alien franchise, though it’s often found lacking in terms of critical and commercial success. To date, the Alien films have collectively grossed over $1.6 billion worldwide (via The Numbers), across the span of eight installments. On the flipside, the Predator movies have made over $741 million (via The Numbers), which includes the Alien Vs Predator duology.
Assuming the next two entries aren’t released direct to streaming, the pair should easily combine to make over $250 million, meaning Badlands and Prey 2 should push the series over that elusive $1 billion mark.
Of course, breaking box office thresholds shouldn’t be taken as the mark of quality for any series. Even lesser-regarded entries like Predator 2 or Predators are a lot of fun regardless of their financial tallies. That said, it would be nice to see such a long-running series breaking this record as a clear sign Predator is on the right track.
Disney Must Change Predators’ Release Strategy To Break Its Box Office Milestone
Badlands and Prey 2 can’t be Hulu exclusives
| The Predator Movie Franchise | Box Office Gross |
|---|---|
| Predator (1987) | $98 million |
| Predator 2 (1990) | $55 million |
| Alien vs Predator (2004) | $173 million |
| Aliens vs Predator: Requiem (2007) | $129 million |
| Predators (2010) | $127 million |
| The Predator (2018) | $159 million |
| Prey (2022) | N/A |
Many critics view Disney’s decision to make Prey a Hulu exclusive as a mistake considering the response it received. Some believe it would have been a runaway success in theaters, which must surely inform the future of the franchise. Prey is easily the most well-received outing since the 1987 original, so it would be foolish for the next two sequels to go straight to Hulu too. If the Predator franchise is to pass the $1 billion threshold, then Badlands and Prey 2 need to go to theaters to make that happen.
Following the underperformance of Shane Black’s The Predator, Disney seemed to view the franchise as somewhat niche, which might explain Prey’s Hulu release. Now that the latter proved beyond any doubt that audiences want more from the sci-fi saga, theatrical pushes for Prey 2 and Badlands make perfect sense; at the very least, one of them needs to hit the big screen. Time will tell, of course, but the future of the Predator franchise is looking quite hopeful.