Part 9/10:
Predator: Badlands demonstrates the difficulty of revitalizing established franchises with new installments that attempt to modernize or reimagine core characters. Despite a reasonable budget and some marketing efforts, its box office trajectory suggests that the franchise’s audience remains niche.
For Disney and other studios, the film's performance serves as a case study in balancing franchise nostalgia with contemporary storytelling. While the film overperformed relative to low initial expectations, it still faces significant hurdles to profitability, especially with anticipated weekend competition and shifting audience tastes.