Predator: Badlands stormed to the top of the North American box office over the weekend, earning $40 million in its debut — a stronger-than-expected start that gave theaters a much-needed boost after weeks of sluggish sales.

According to studio estimates released Sunday, the latest installment in the long-running sci-fi franchise became the highest-grossing opener in Predator history, surpassing the $38.3 million debut of Alien vs. Predator (2004).

Directed and written by Dan Trachtenberg, Badlands also collected another $40 million overseas, bringing its global launch total to $80 million for Disney’s 20th Century Studios. With a reported $105 million budget, it’s the most expensive Predator movie ever made.

The film — the eighth in the franchise that began in 1987 — follows a young, outcast Predator (played by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) who befriends an android researcher (Elle Fanning) on a remote planet. Critics have responded positively, giving it an 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences awarded it an “A-” CinemaScore.

The success of Badlands comes as welcome news for Hollywood following a record-low October. AMC Theatres recently reported a $298.2 million quarterly loss, and several fall releases have underperformed.

New releases struggle to make an impact

Despite Badlands’ strong showing, most of this weekend’s new films failed to excite audiences.

“Sarah’s Oil” (Amazon MGM) performed best among newcomers, debuting with $4.5 million from 2,410 theaters and earning a rare “A+” CinemaScore. The historical drama stars Naya Desir-Johnson as a young Black girl in early 1900s Oklahoma who discovers oil on her land.

“Nuremberg” (Sony Pictures Classics), starring Rami Malek and Russell Crowe, followed closely with $4.1 million from 1,802 theaters.

“Die My Love,” directed by Lynne Ramsay and starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson, opened with a disappointing $2.8 million and a poor “D+” CinemaScore.

“Christy,” featuring Sydney Sweeney as boxer Christy Martin, managed only $1.3 million, despite strong early festival buzz.

Meanwhile, Joachim Trier’s Cannes prizewinner Sentimental Value opened in limited release, grossing $200,000 from just four theaters — an impressive $50,000 per-screen average, the third-best of the year.

Disney eyes another $5 billion year

The debut of Predator: Badlands sealed Disney’s fourth consecutive year of $4 billion in global box office revenue. The studio hopes to push past $5 billion by year’s end, with Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash still to come.

Weekend’s Top 10 (Domestic Box Office Estimates)

Predator: Badlands – $40 million

Regretting You – $7.1 million

Black Phone 2 – $5.3 million

Sarah’s Oil – $4.5 million

Nuremberg – $4.1 million

Chainsaw Man – $3.6 million

Bugonia – $3.5 million

Die My Love – $2.8 million

Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere – $2.2 million

Tron: Ares – $1.8 million

With Predator: Badlands exceeding expectations and positive word of mouth spreading, box office analysts say the film could enjoy a strong second week — signaling a potential rebound for theaters heading into the holiday season.