The Predator underwhelms with a $24 million opening weekend

Following a flurry of negative reviews and a press tour marred by controversy, 20th Century Fox's The Predator got off to a weak start at the box office this weekend.
The franchise reboot took in an estimated $24 million domestically, Box Office Mojo reports, enough for it to take the top slot but not enough for the studio to see it as much of a success. Tracking had indicated that The Predator would open between $25 million and $30 million domestically, Variety reported last month. Overseas, the film took in $30.7 million, whereas Fox was reportedly anticipating at least $40 million, Deadline reports.
In fact, The Predator's debut was slightly below that of the most recent sequel, Predators, which made $24.7 million in 2010 despite opening in fewer theaters and costing over half as much as The Predator.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What's to blame for the disappointing turnout? The Predator's press tour was something of a disaster. It was revealed that Olivia Munn got the studio to cut out a scene with a registered sex offender at the last minute, having not learned about the man's past until after filming had been completed, and she said the studio "chastised" her for bringing it up.
But it could also just be a bad movie. Critics mostly panned the film, calling it tonally inconsistent and fairly generic overall, and the general public seemed to agree. CinemaScore, which polls a sampling of moviegoers from across the country, found that viewers gave it an average rating of C+. It will likely see a steep second-weekend drop, and the final gross may be disappointing enough for this franchise to sink back into retirement.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Amazon's 'James Bond' deal could mean a new future for 007
In the Spotlight The franchise was previously owned by the Broccoli family
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Why are Republicans suddenly panicking about DOGE?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As Trump and Musk take a chainsaw to the federal government, a growing number of Republicans worry that the massive cuts are hitting a little too close to home
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
What is JD Vance's Net Worth?
In Depth The vice president is rich, but not nearly as wealthy as his boss and many of his boss' appointees
By David Faris Published
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US Steel
Speed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Rupert Murdoch loses 'Succession' court battle
Speed Read Murdoch wanted to give full control of his empire to son Lachlan, ensuring Fox News' right-wing editorial slant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bitcoin surges above $100k in post-election rally
Speed Read Investors are betting that the incoming Trump administration will embrace crypto
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Enron mystery: 'sick joke' or serious revival?
Speed Read 23 years after its bankruptcy filing, the Texas energy firm has announced its resurrection
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published