It’s long been said that in space, no one can hear you scream…
However, plenty of screaming was afoot here on earth this past weekend, as Alien: Romulus dominated the box-office, in a triumphant return for the franchise.
Expected to open to $30 – $40 million, Romulus took a cue from those iconic facehuggers and scuttled right past that.
After making an impressive $18 million on its first day, Romulus ultimately bagged a domestic gross of $42 million. This makes Alien: Romulus the first film to dethrone Deadpool & Wolverine since its July 26th release.
Elsewhere, Romulus brought in a hugely impressive $66.7 million from other territories, bringing its final opening weekend tally to an enormous $108 million. Not adjusted for inflation, this is the second-best opening in the series’ history, behind 2012’s Prometheus.
Alien: Romulus’ stellar box-office performance is made more impressive when one recalls it was originally supposed to go direct-to-streaming.
Much like the Predator prequel Prey, Romulus was conceived by Disney to reinvent the series as a sure-fire winner on Hulu and Disney+. However, following the enormously positive reception to Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey, the plans were nixed, and Alien: Romulus landed a theatrical release, which we’re sure the studio now lauds as a very profitable decision.
Not just a hit with audiences, Alien: Romulus has been warmly received by critics, many deeming it a successful new beginning for the series. Praise was given to the writing, direction, performances, effects, and cinematography, meaning Romulus checked every box.
So, where will the franchise go after this unexpected adrenaline shot? Currently, there are no concrete plans for a continuation, but we’ll let you know as soon as that changes… We have a feeling it will.
