Alien: Romulus Tops Box Office, Disney Dominates Summer Cinema Scene

“Alien: Romulus,” the latest installment in the 45-year-old franchise, has stormed to the top of the North American box office, grossing an estimated $41.5 million in its opening weekend. The 20th Century Studios release was showcased in 3,885 locations across the U.S. and Canada. Including earnings from international screenings in 49 markets, “Alien: Romulus” raked in $66.7 million, bringing its global debut haul to a robust $108.2 million.

The Walt Disney Co., owner of 20th Century Studios, dominated the charts, with Marvel’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” securing the second spot. Now in its fourth weekend, the film pulled in $29 million. Disney’s cinematic might was further underscored by their commanding presence this summer, responsible for approximately 42% of the industry’s box office revenue, bolstered by hits like “Inside Out 2” and “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.”

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Typically, August is a slower period for the movie industry, often considered a dumping ground. Nevertheless, 2024 has witnessed a surprising uptick, thanks to recent hits including “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “It Ends With Us.” This momentum brought late August weekend earnings over 30% higher than the same weekend last year and more than 10% above August 2019.

“The summer started off pretty gloomy, but it’s winding up really strong,” reported Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s senior media analyst. “We thought we were going to coast through August, but now we’re powering through towards a much stronger overall summer number than we initially anticipated.”

Directed by Fede Álvarez, “Alien: Romulus” hearkens back to the era of “Alien” and “Aliens.” The film stars a young, dynamic cast including Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, and Isabela Merced. Álvarez, known for his flair in horror with titles like “Evil Dead” and “Don’t Breathe,” embraced the franchise’s terrifying roots, crafting a film that resonated well with audiences. Reviews have been generally positive, achieving an 81% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and earning a B+ CinemaScore from viewers.

The romantic drama “It Ends With Us” claimed third place, grossing $24 million, a decline of just 52% from its impressive opening. Directed by and starring Justin Baldoni along with Blake Lively, the Sony film has amassed $97.8 million to date on a modest $25 million production budget. The narrative, adapted from Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, follows Lively’s character, Lily Bloom, as her life is upended by a past love, complicating her relationship with Baldoni’s Ryle Kincaid.

Despite lingering rumors of behind-the-scenes drama, reminiscent of the “Don’t Worry Darling” saga, controversy did not impede the box office performance of “It Ends With Us.”

In its fifth weekend, “Twisters” secured the fourth spot with $9.8 million from 3,483 theaters, accumulating over $238.4 million domestically for Universal.

Rounding out the top five was the re-release of “Coraline.” Celebrating its 15th anniversary, Fathom Events showcased the stop-motion animated film on over 1,500 screens, earning $11.3 million in four days and $8.6 million from Friday through Sunday. Based on Neil Gaiman’s novella, “Coraline” was written and directed by Henry Selick and marked the inaugural release for Laika. The film will continue in theaters until Aug. 22.

“Borderlands,” a video game adaptation starring Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, and Jamie Lee Curtis, added $2.4 million in its second weekend, bringing its total to $13.5 million against a hefty $120 million production budget.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, as reported by Comscore, are as follows: “Alien: Romulus” at $41.5 million, “Deadpool & Wolverine” at $29 million, “It Ends With Us” at $24 million, “Twisters” at $9.8 million, “Coraline” at $8.6 million, “Despicable Me 4” at $6 million, “Trap” at $3.4 million, “Inside Out 2” at $3.2 million, “Borderlands” at $2.4 million, and “Stree 2” at $2.2 million. Final domestic figures will be released on Monday.