It’s no secret that the majority of Disney’s biggest hits this year are essentially inherited titles from 20th Century Studios. But whileDeadpool & Wolverinewas always expected to do well, the science-fiction horror “interquel”Alien: Romulus, and the soft rebootKingdom of the Planet of the Apeshave emerged as pleasant surprises.Kingdom of the Planet of the Apesconcluded its global run with a hair under $400 million, which was seen as a solid result, all things considered. And now,Alien: Romulusis teetering at the edge of its own box office milestone.
With $103 million domestically and another $238 million from overseas markets, the film’scumulative global haul stands at $341 million. All that remains to be seen is if it has enough gas in the tank to pass the $350 million milestone before it taps out. Even if it doesn’t, there’s no denying thatAlien: Romulusis a hit worth celebrating for Disney. Not only did it greatly improve upon the performance of its predecessor,Alien: Covenant, it is nowthe second-biggest hit in the long-running franchise’s history.
Directed byFede Álvarez,Alien: Romulusis set between the events ofRidley Scott’s seminal original film,Alien, and its equally beloved sequel,Aliens, directed byJames Cameron. Both those movies made less than $200 million worldwide, but they were released decades ago. The more recentCovenant, also directed by Scott, grossed an underwhelming $238 million globally, against a reported budget of just under $100 million.Covenantserved as a direct follow-up toPrometheus, which was also directed by Scott. A prequel to the firstAlien,Prometheusremains the top-grossing film of the franchise, and the only installment to crack the $400 million mark worldwide.
The Alien Franchise Is Nearing a Milestone Of Its Own
The Alien franchiseis among the most resilient that Hollywood has ever produced, having survived not only critically panned flops but also largely forgotten spin-offs. The series is on the verge of passing $2 billion in cumulative global box office revenue, although with $26 million separating it from that milestone, the chances of it achieving this goal look slim at this stage. Produced ona reported budget of $80 million,Alien: Romulusopened to mostlypositive reviews, and appears to have settled at a “fresh” 80% approval rating on the aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes. The film starsCailee Spaeny,David Jonsson,Archie Renaux,Isabela Merced, andSpike Fearn.
You can watchAlien: Romulusin theaters, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Alien: Romulus
In Alien: Romulus, a crew of space explorers lands on a distant, uncharted planet, only to uncover a horrifying secret lurking beneath the surface. As they delve deeper into the alien environment, they encounter deadly creatures and ancient ruins that hint at a terrifying history. The team’s survival becomes a desperate battle against the relentless xenomorphs, forcing them to rely on their wits and technology to escape the nightmarish world.
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