Box Office: ‘Alien: Romulus’ Hatches $18 Million Opening Day
variety.comJ. Kim Murphy “Alien: Romulus” slithered to $18 million from 3,885 locations across Friday and preview screenings — a substantial haul that suggests that 20th Century’s latest entry in the survival thriller series will come in north of the studio’s projections to earn a $40 million debut across opening weekend.
The killer sci-fi feature also gets a boost from Imax and other premium large-format auditoriums. The solid start marks a victory lap for Disney, which has ruled theaters through the summer season with the two biggest hits of the year, “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Inside Out 2.” “Romulus” was originally greenlit for a Hulu debut, but Disney shifted the Fede Alvarez-helmed production to a theatrical rollout before principal photography began.
Nearly 50 years old, the “Alien” series is still a prestige brandname to horror and sci-fi fans, and they are rolling out for the opening weekend.
The franchise’s previous two entries, prequels “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant,” saw the original film’s director Ridley Scott return to the property. “Prometheus” debuted to $51 million in 2012, finishing at $403 million globally; the 2017 entry “Covenant” marked a dropoff, opening at $36 million and ending at $240 million worldwide.
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