Fede Álvarez’s latest film, Alien: Romulus, is making a strong impact on the box office as it aims to revive the beloved Alien franchise. The film, produced by 20th Century Studios and Disney, topped the domestic box office on Friday, earning $18 million, which includes $6.5 million from previews. Analysts predict an opening weekend total between $40 million and $42 million. Notably, Romulus has displaced Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine from the top position.
The film’s success is attributed to its broad appeal, attracting both younger and older male audiences. This success is also a win for Disney and contributes positively to the summer box office performance. With a fresh 82 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a solid B+ CinemaScore, Romulus is receiving favorable reviews.
Internationally, Romulus is projected to have a global opening exceeding $100 million. This eighth installment of the Alien franchise is set between Ridley Scott’s 1979 Alien and James Cameron’s 1986 sequel, Aliens. Scott is a producer for this film. Romulus follows a group of young colonists who discover an abandoned space station and encounter the franchise’s iconic alien creature. The cast includes Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, and Spike Fearn.
Initially planned for a direct-to-streaming release on Disney-owned Hulu, the film’s distribution strategy shifted to a theatrical release at the start of principal photography.
Deadpool & Wolverine has slipped to the No. 2 spot after dominating the box office for three weekends. However, the film, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, continues to break records. It recently became the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time globally, with a total of $1.086 billion as of August 15. The film is expected to earn an additional $27 million to $28 million this weekend, bringing its domestic total to around $545 million.
In third place is Sony and Wayfarer Studios’ adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel It Ends With Us. Starring Blake Lively, the film is projected to earn between $24 million and $26 million this weekend, pushing its domestic total close to $100 million. The film has earned $73.7 million in its first week, marking the best performance of the year for a non-sequel. Despite ongoing social media discussions about tensions between Lively and co-star/director Justin Baldoni, the film is showing strong repeat business. Baldoni has brought in a veteran PR crisis manager to address the situation.
Universal’s Twisters is expected to come in fourth place and is also available on premium VOD. Additionally, Focus Features’ stop-motion classic Coraline is celebrating its 15th anniversary with a re-release by Fathom Events. The re-release earned $5.8 million on Thursday and Friday alone.