Predator Roars Back: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1980s Sci-Fi Classic Tops Tubi Ahead of Sequel Return

Just when you think the streaming wars can’t get more bonkers, an almost 40-year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger classic is suddenly dominating the charts—for free. Yep, Predator, the 1987 sci-fi meathead masterwork, is once again one of the hottest things you can watch online. Nearly four decades since it first dropped grenades on theaters, Arnie’s high-octane huntathon has clawed its way back into pop culture relevance, this time hanging out among the top three movies on Tubi like it’s 1987 all over again.

The ’80s Sci-Fi Smackdown

Let’s do a quick flashback: the 1980s pumped out so many iconic sci-fi and action films, it’s honestly hard to keep track. The Thing, Blade Runner, Aliens, RoboCop, They Live—the list just keeps going. But for a certain crew of fans (myself included), Predator is peak genre perfection. John McTiernan, the guy behind Die Hard, directed it, and even within Schwarzenegger’s stacked career, this one stands out as pure, uncut ’80s adrenaline.

And if you’re wondering about that Tubi ranking: not only is Predator currently sitting pretty at #3 on the platform, but its much-maligned sequel Predator 2 is bizarrely beating it at #2 for now. (First place? U.S. Marshals, because late-’90s Tommy Lee Jones is apparently still the king of free streaming.) No, I have no idea why Predator 2 is outpacing the original either, but the internet works in mysterious ways.

Why Predator Still Works

In case you somehow missed it: Predator launches with Schwarzenegger as Dutch—not a guy who’s good at subtlety—leading a team of mercenaries on a 'rescue' mission in Guatemala. Spoiler: rescuing anyone isn’t in the cards. Instead, the team finds their targets already eviscerated and displayed like horror movie trophies. Cue the real plot: a one-way fight against an invisible, crab-faced alien with a love for spine collections. That’s about as high-concept as it gets, but the execution absolutely rules.

• Arnold Schwarzenegger as Dutch (the tank in camo paint)
• Carl Weathers as Dillon (shady CIA guy with the best handshake in history)
• Jesse Ventura as Blain ('I ain’t got time to bleed')
• Bill Duke as Mac (born to whisper threats)
• Elpidia Carrillo as Anna (the only one with common sense)
• Sonny Landham as Billy (stoic tracker who knows they’re all doomed)

The Critics? Yeah, They Blew It

Here’s the weird bit: the same critics who trip over themselves to praise lesser movies gave Predator a frosty reception back in the day. The numbers say it all: just a 64% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics vs. a much more reasonable 87% from regular people (who, in this case, obviously have better taste). The Star-Ledger’s Richard Freeman even called it 'by far the worst movie Arnold Schwarzenegger has made.' I can think of at least three Arnie flicks that are way cheesier or duller, but that’s another rant.

Anyway, time proved the audience right: Predator is now the gold standard of its franchise—especially since the sequels range from 'OK, I guess' (Predator 2) to 'what even is this?' (Alien vs. Predator: Requiem).

The Franchise Won't Die (And Arnie Might Return)

The last few years have been oddly kind to the Predator series. Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey in 2022 was legitimately awesome, and there’s another new project, Predator: Badlands, supposedly in the works. The real kicker? Schwarzenegger himself hinted in March 2026 that FOX has actually reached out to get him back in the game. His take:

'Now, [Dan Trachtenberg] wants me to be in the next Predator. We’ve talked about it. As a matter of fact, FOX studios has kind of rediscovered "Arnold." They’ve come to me and said, "We want you to do Predator."'

If you ask real fans, though, there’s only one true way to top the original: bring back Jean-Claude Van Damme as the bizarre, bug-eyed, kickboxing version of the Predator from before he got replaced in the suit. But that’s a fever dream for another time.