After three straight weekends at No. 1, the Merc with a Mouth has finally choked on his chimichanga. Yes, Alien: Romulus is the top dog — Xenomorph in this case — at the box office as director Fede Álvarez’s sci-fi horror flick dethrones one of this summer’s biggest blockbusters, Deadpool & Wolverine. The sequel to 1979’s Alien comes through with a strong showing as it kicks off its opening weekend with an estimated $41.5 million domestically (per The Numbers).
Alien: Romulus fares even better internationally with $66.7 million for a worldwide total of $108.2 million. Unfortunately, Romulus doesn’t come all that close to setting the franchise’s record for the best opening weekend. The Michael Fasbender-led installment of the saga, Prometheus, holds onto that honor with its $51 million premiere back in 2012. Check out the numbers for all nine Alien films’ debuts (below), courtesy of Box Office Mojo.
Alien Franchise’s Opening Weekend Numbers Domestically
- Alien ($3.5 million)
- Aliens ($10.1 million)
- Alien 3 ($19.4 million)
- Alien Resurrection ($16.5 million)
- Alien vs. Predator ($38.3 million)
- Alien vs. Predator: Requiem ($10.1 million)
- Prometheus ($51 million)
- Alien: Covenant ($36.2 million)
- Alien: Romulus ($41.5 million)
Xenomorph Conquers Merc with a Mouth at Box Office
Last week’s No. 1 Deadpool & Wolverine might have lost the top spot to Alien: Romulus, but it was still a huge week for the MCU’s latest blockbuster. Director Shawn Levy, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s cinematic collaboration set yet another record as their superhero flick passed filmmaker Todd Phillips’ Joker ($1.078 billion) to become the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time worldwide with $1.093 billion (per Box Office Mojo).
So, with Alien: Romulus ranked at No. 1, and flanked by No. 2 Deadpool & Wolverine ($29 million), Blake Lively was once more very competitive against her husband, Reynolds, at the box office. The Lively romantic drama It Ends with Us performed strongly again as director and star Justin Baldoni’s film secures the No. 3 spot with $24 million.
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Glen Powell’s Twisters continues to wreak havoc as the disaster film storms into the No. 4 slot with $9.8 million. And then the Top 5 is rounded out by this weekend’s biggest surprise at the box office. The 15th anniversary screenings of director Henry Selick’s animated Coraline performs extraordinarily well and secures the No. 5 spot with $8.4 million.
Nicolas Cage’s Longlegs surpassed the $100-million mark during the week to become the highest-grossing indie film of 2024, but sadly it fails to make the Top 10 for the first time since being released back on July 12. IFC Films’ Skincare, which stars Elizabeth Banks and Nathan Fillion, debuts outside the Top 10 with $315,894 having played in just 768 theaters. And another newbie, Music Box Films’ Mountains, makes $6,119 in limited release (1 cinema).
As the 2024 summer movie season wanes, three newcomers will join the fun next weekend as The Forge, the Channing Tatum-led Blink Twice and Bill Skarsgård’s take on The Crow all open on Friday, August 23.
This weekend’s best per-theater average goes to No. 1
Alien: Romulus
($10,682).