Alien Franchise: Romulus Enjoying Successful Initial Box Office Run
Blasting Off: Alien: Romulus Kicks off with a Monster Launch
Chatty Cathy here! Time to dish on the blockbuster hit, Alien: Romulus.
The sci-fi fright fest has broken the banks, reportedly raking in a staggering $108.2 million worldwide within its first week! According to Deadline, the movie's international numbers added up to a mind-blowing $66.7 million. The film's overachievement can be credited to China, where it started with a bang, securing second place for a Hollywood flick this year with $25.7 million. Domestically, Romulus pulled in a whopping $41.5 million, well beyond projections estimated at high-$20 million. The film even gave Deadpool & Wolverine a run for their money, snatching the top spot from the duo, though it matters little considering the box office triumph these superheroes have already had this summer.
Disney initially intended Romulus for Hulu but decided to present it in theaters instead, a decision that's clearly paid off. Moviegoers can't seem to get enough of Alien, with the lengthy gap since Alien: Covenant in 2017 having left fans yearning for the series. Social media was flooded with rewatches of the prior films pre-new-movie release. Romulus earned an additional boost with the powerful trailers accompanying major films over the past few months and positive word of mouth recommendations.
In the upcoming weeks, Romulus faces challenges from genre rivals such as the remake of The Crow, Strange Darling, and Blink Twice. In late August, brace yourself for Afraid, an AI tech thriller featuring John Cho and Katherine Waterson, and Slingshot, starring Casey Affleck and Laurence Fishburne.
Despite the impressive opening, Alien: Romulus lags behind some iconic titles in the Alien franchise, particularly the legendary "Aliens" (1986) and the original "Alien" (1979), both boasting much higher earnings when adjusted for inflation. Its performance in 2024 is reasonable, with competitors such as The Fall Guy and The Garfield Movie posting similar earnings of approximately $92.9 million and $91.957 million, respectively. However, when compared to 2022 box office juggernauts like DC League of Super-Pets and the powerhouse duo of Where the Crawdads Sing and The Black Phone, Alien: Romulus falls short, registering domestic earnings just shy of or slightly below the $90 million mark.
So, while Alien: Romulus terrified audiences with its stellar start, its box office performance is relatively tame compared to some other films in the franchise and recent releases in the industry. But hey, who's counting? As long as fans are satisfied, Hollywood has done its job! \m/
- The successful launch of Alien: Romulus has been attributed to technology, as Disney decided to showcase the film in theaters instead of streaming it on Hulu.
- Interest in Alien: Romulus may have been fueled by the prolonged gap since the release of Alien: Covenant in 2017, driving fans to rewatch prior films and create a buzz on social media.
- The future for Alien: Romulus at the box office seems competitive, with films like The Crow remake, Strange Darling, and Blink Twice set to challenge it in the upcoming weeks.
- Despite its overperformance in its first week, global earnings of $108.2 million, and exceeding domestic projections, Alien: Romulus falls short compared to some iconic Alien franchise titles when earnings are adjusted for inflation.
