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.
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.
-
June 28 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include stupid wars, a critical media, and mask standards
-
Thai fish pie with crispy turmeric potatoes recipe
The Week Recommends Tasty twist on the Lancashire hot pot is given a golden glow
-
Palestine Action: protesters or terrorists?
Talking Point Damaging RAF equipment at Brize Norton blurs line between activism and sabotage, but proscription is a drastic step
-
Economists fear US inflation data less reliable
speed read The Labor Department is collecting less data for its consumer price index due to staffing shortages
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutiny
Speed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores