Alien: Romulus has become the second movie in the franchise to ever pass a major box office milestone. The 2024 title, which was directed by Fede Álvarez and stars Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson, the ninth Alien movie including the two Alien vs. Predator crossover movies from the mid-2000s. The Alien: Romulus box office kicked off with a strong $42 million opening weekend, and it quickly rose to become the second highest-grossing movie in the long-running science fiction horror franchise.
Per Deadline, as of Saturday morning, Alien: Romulus is projected to take in a 3-day total of $2.6 million at the domestic box office during its fifth weekend in theaters. This means that it will have crossed the $100 million milestone by Sunday evening, reaching a cumulative domestic gross of $101 million. This marks only the second time that an Alien movie has passed that milestone after 2012’s Prometheus, which earned $126.5 million at the domestic box office by the end of its run.
What This Box Office Milestone Means For Alien: Romulus
Alien: Romulus Is A Bona Fide Hit
While the Alien: Romulus release has landed a place as the second highest-grossing movie in the franchise some time ago, it continues to close the gap between its current standing and the overall gross of Prometheus, which is the No. 1 movie of the franchise with a worldwide total of $403.3 million. However, that movie crossed the $100 million milestone in its third weekend, underscoring how the new movie has consistently trailed slightly behind the Ridley Scott prequel and will likely not rise high enough to become the No. 1 Alien movie.
It is only the 15th movie to pass the $100 million milestone so far this year…
However, even if Romulus never becomes the highest-grossing of the Alien movies, it has cemented its status as one of the biggest hits of 2024. It is only the 15th movie to pass the $100 million milestone so far this year, with the most recent being the previous weekend’s new release Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. However, it is in even more rarefied air as an R-rated movie, as that rating limits its ticket-buying audience. In fact, it is only the third R-rated movie to pass that milestone in 2024, behind Deadpool & Wolverine and Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
Our Take On The Alien: Romulus Box Office Milestone
Romulus Is An Enormous Success For Its Budget Level
The box office success of Alien: Romulus has more than proven the theatrical viability of the movie, which was originally intended to be a Hulu streaming exclusive before principal photography began. It also goes to show that audiences will turn out for a sci-fi tentpole with a slimmer budget, as the movie cost just $80 million compared to Prometheus‘ estimated budget of $120 million or the roughly $100 million price tag of its 2017 follow-up Alien: Covenant. This could be the franchise’s guiding principle moving forward, allowing filmmakers more leeway to explore with less financial risk.
Source: Deadline
