Romulus Captures $18 Million Opening Day

The new Alien is off to a scary start.

Alien: Romulus is off to a terrifying start at the box office with $18 million on opening day. Director Fede Alvarez’s take on the iconic horror franchise has lured a lot of serious fans into the theaters this weekend. (Want 18 million includes the previous screenings as well, which came in above expectations for Disney and 20th Century.) Projections currently have Alien: Romulus hovering around a 40 million debut this opening weekend. The current CinemaScore for Alien: Romulus sits at a B+, which would mark the highest grade from audiences since the second movie, Aliens.

Another data point that bears discussion is the fact that Alien: Romulus actually cost less than some of the more recent entries in the franchise. The reported budget for this film is around $80 million before marketing. Another good sign for the Alien sequel is the initial reactions coming out of the theater seem to be positive on social media. Hysterically, This week is shaping up to be quite a mature trip to the movies as Alien: Romulus is flanked by Deadpool & Wolverine in the number two spot. For those uninterested in blood and guts, It Ends With Us, a Blake Lively drama rounds out the top 3.

Alien: Romulus Heads To The Big Screen

The newest entry to the box office picture this weekend is Alien: Romulus. For fans of the long-running horror franchise, the movie packs in so much to look forward to. However, newcomers might find themselves a bit confused by some of the references and plot points that gesture directly towards previous entries. ComicBook’s Kofi Outlaw explains how that  devotion to the older movies might end up being controversial for some viewers.

“There is no denying that Álvarez is a major fan of the Alien franchise – but ironically, the proof of his fandom that he packs into the screen is also the very thing that holds the movie back,” Outlaw argues. “Romulus has a slavish fascination with Ridley Scott’s original Alien, its stylistic design, tone, and aesthetic – but there’s also plenty of love for James Cameron’s action-packed sequel and all the fun sci-fi gadgetry and world-building it offered.” 

He continues, “But Álvarez (along with his collaborator Rodo Sysagues) can’t stop there – they have to acknowledge the expanded mythos that Ridley Scott added with his prequels Prometheus and Alien: Covenant – and even wayward child of the franchise get nods – such as Alien 3 (with its dystopian vision of colony life) and Alien: Ressurection, with the latter getting a major head-nod in a make-or-break third act that will leave fans deeply divided. 

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