AceShowbiz - Predator: Badlands has achieved a significant box office milestone, surpassing the lifetime domestic gross of the original 1987 film, despite experiencing a steeper-than-anticipated drop in its second weekend. The ninth installment in the iconic sci-fi franchise and its seventh theatrical release continues to make waves, showcasing both remarkable success and an unexpected challenge.

The film roared out of the gate with an impressive $40 million domestic debut, marking the best opening weekend for any movie in the entire Predator franchise. However, its sophomore weekend performance has seen a notable deceleration. According to projections from Deadline, Predator: Badlands is expected to conclude its second three-day run with a domestic total between $13 million and $14 million. This translates to an approximate 66% drop from its debut, which, while typical for a sci-fi tentpole, is considerably harsher than the anticipated 50% decline.

Despite this significant dip, the cumulative domestic total for Predator: Badlands is projected to reach an impressive $67.3 million by the end of the weekend. This figure comfortably eclipses the original 1987 Predator film, which concluded its North American run with $59.7 million. This achievement solidifies Predator: Badlands' place in the franchise's history books, proving its immediate appeal to audiences.

With this new total, Predator: Badlands now stands as the second highest-grossing film domestically in the entire franchise, trailing only 2004's crossover hit, AVP: Alien vs. Predator, which grossed $80.3 million. Crucially, because AVP: Alien vs. Predator is a crossover title, Predator: Badlands has officially become the highest-grossing domestic release of the flagship Predator franchise, a testament to its standalone appeal.

The 66% drop, however, does break a pattern of the new film outperforming its predecessors in terms of second-weekend hold. This decline is considerably more drastic than those experienced by films like Predator (-31.6%), Predator 2 (-52.8%), and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (-55.4%). While it represents the third-worst sophomore weekend drop in the franchise, it still performs marginally better than AVP: Alien vs. Predator's 67.6% fall, suggesting a mixed but ultimately record-breaking performance for Predator: Badlands.