Cailee Spaney at the premiere of Alien: Romulus. Photo by Schott Garffit/Invision/AP
"Alien: Romulus," the latest entry in the iconic 45-year-old franchise, has debuted at the top of the North American box office. The film, released by 20th Century Studios, earned approximately $41.5 million in its opening weekend, showing in 3,885 theaters across the U.S. and Canada.
Globally, "Alien: Romulus" amassed $108.2 million, including $66.7 million from international markets. Walt Disney Co., which owns 20th Century Studios, also dominated the box office with Marvel's "Deadpool & Wolverine" securing the second spot in its fourth weekend, bringing in $29 million. Disney has contributed to about 42% of the summer's total box office, with hits like "Inside Out 2" and "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes."
While August is traditionally a slow month for movies, this year has seen a strong finish. Despite a slower start to 2024, recent successes such as "Deadpool & Wolverine" and "It Ends With Us" have driven the box office up over 30% from the same weekend last year, and more than 10% from August 2019.
Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at Comscore, noted, “The summer began on a low note, but it’s ending on a high. We anticipated a quiet August, but the recent hits are propelling us towards a stronger summer box office than we had expected.”
"Alien: Romulus," directed by Fede Álvarez, who is known for his work in horror films like "Evil Dead" and "Don't Breathe," features a cast of young actors such as Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, and Isabela Merced. The film continues the franchise's legacy of blending science fiction with horror. Reviews for the film have been generally positive, holding an 81% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and it received a B+ from CinemaScore.
In third place, the romantic drama "It Ends With Us" earned $24 million, a 52% drop from its strong opening. The film, featuring Blake Lively and directed by Justin Baldoni, has grossed $97.8 million so far. Adapted from Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, it explores the story of Lily Bloom, played by Lively, who faces a dilemma when a past romance disrupts her current relationship.
Meanwhile, "Twisters" landed in fourth place during its fifth weekend, collecting $9.8 million from 3,483 theaters. The film has accumulated over $238.4 million domestically.
The re-release of "Coraline," celebrating its 15th anniversary, rounded out the top five. Shown on over 1,500 screens by Fathom Events, it made $11.3 million in four days, with $8.6 million from the weekend. The film, a stop-motion adaptation of Neil Gaiman's novella, was directed by Henry Selick and was Laika's debut release.
In its second weekend, the video game adaptation "Borderlands" brought in $2.4 million, totaling $13.5 million against a $120 million budget.
Here’s a snapshot of the top ten films based on estimated ticket sales from Friday through Sunday in U.S. and Canadian theaters:
- “Alien: Romulus” - $41.5 million
- “Deadpool & Wolverine” - $29 million
- “It Ends With Us” - $24 million
- “Twisters” - $9.8 million
- “Coraline” - $8.6 million
- “Despicable Me 4” - $6 million
- “Trap” - $3.4 million
- “Inside Out 2” - $3.2 million
- “Borderlands” - $2.4 million
- “Stree 2” - $2.2 million
Final domestic figures will be released on Monday.
