Predator: Badlands Hits No. 1 on Hulu With Nearly 9M Views in Five Days

20th Century Studios is celebrating another major milestone for its iconic sci-fi action franchise as Predator: Badlands storms onto streaming with record-setting momentum.

Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, the latest installment in the long-running Predator: Badlands saga has become the No. 1 film premiere on Hulu since the filmmaker's 2022 hit Prey. According to the streaming platform, Predator: Badlands drew nearly 9 million views worldwide within its first five days of availability, marking a powerful debut that underscores the franchise's enduring appeal.

The streaming triumph follows an equally impressive theatrical run. When Predator: Badlands opened in theaters last fall, it carved out a new benchmark for the 39-year-old franchise. The film launched with a $40 million domestic debut and quickly amassed $80 million globally in its opening frame. By the end of its run, the film had reached $184.5 million worldwide, the highest total in franchise history.

Hulu reports that audiences worldwide have streamed more than 300 million hours of Predator franchise content across Hulu and Disney+. The appetite for the Alien Hunter saga shows no signs of slowing, as new and longtime fans alike revisit earlier chapters and embrace the newest installment.

To further capitalize on renewed interest, the platform recently expanded its Predator offerings by adding 15 new titles to the "Predator Creators Collection" across Disney+ and Hulu. The curated lineup highlights the filmmakers, characters, and legacy entries that have shaped the franchise's evolution over nearly four decades.

Trachtenberg's continued success within the Predator universe is especially notable. His 2022 film Prey, which premiered on August 5, 2022, re-energized the series with a fresh creative direction and a streaming-first release strategy. The film went on to become Hulu's most-watched movie premiere in the platform's history.

With Predator: Badlands, Trachtenberg appears to have replicated, and in some ways expanded upon, that success. The combination of strong theatrical performance and dominant streaming viewership reflects a hybrid strategy that has proven highly effective for the property. The franchise's ability to thrive across both big-screen spectacle and at-home viewing highlights its flexibility in a rapidly evolving entertainment landscape.

The Predator series first launched in 1987, introducing audiences to a lethal extraterrestrial hunter and spawning decades of sequels, spin-offs, and expanded universe storytelling. Over the years, the brand has undergone tonal shifts and creative reinventions, yet it has consistently maintained a dedicated global fanbase.

Also worth watching: Our Physical Media Review of Predator