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As of this writing, Predator: Badlands has grossed $138.5 million globally (per Box Office Mojo). That figure eclipses the $137.2 million Ballerina: From the World of John Wick brought in over the summer. Badlands is also just a few million shy of surpassing Tron: Ares to make its way into the top 25 of the year so far.
Why Predator: Badlands Beat Ballerina at the Box Office
Since its debut over a decade ago, the John Wick series has been one of the biggest successes in the film industry. Each mainline installment grossed more than its predecessor, with John Wick: Chapter 4 topping out at $447.1 million at the worldwide box office. That gave Lionsgate the confidence to move forward with a spinoff, but the franchise’s hot streak stopped there. Ballerina became the first John Wick to disappoint at the box office, losing nearly $100 million. Though Ballerina earned largely positive reviews (75% on Rotten Tomatoes), the word of mouth wasn’t as enthusiastic as the previous films, which hurt the film’s box office prospects. After opening in second during its debut, Ballerina slid down the charts as its run went on.
In contrast, reception for Predator: Badlands was much stronger (86% on Rotten Tomatoes), with many people praising it for being a fun and interesting expansion of the franchise mythos. It was also the first new theatrical Predator release since the IP experienced a resurgence thanks to streaming hits Prey and Predator: Killer of Killers, making it seem like more of an event for fans. John Wick 4 had such a definitive ending that casual viewers might have seen that as a good place to check out and stop following the series so closely. There wasn’t a ton of interest in a John Wick movie that didn’t have much John Wick in it, but Predator fans were excited to finally see a Yautja take center stage.
