After just three weekends in theaters, Alien: Romulus is officially a big hit for Disney and 20th Century Studios. Yes, it is still a bit odd to associate Disney with R-rated franchises such as this, but that’s the world we live in. At the very least, the studio didn’t pull any punches with this one, delivering a hard R space-set horror adventure that fans of the franchise are eating up. So much so that it’s already the second-biggest movie in the Alien franchise to date at the box office.
After bringing in an estimated $11.5 million over the long Labor Day weekend, director Fede Alvarez’s Romulus has now earned $91 million domestically along with a huge $195 million overseas, bringing its running total to $296 million worldwide. That means its second only to director Ridley Scott’s ambitious 2012 prequel Prometheus, which took in $403 million globally in its day. Granted, this isn’t accounting for inflation but it still serves as a marker of just how successful this movie has been in the early going.
One thing that Romulus has over Prometheus is the potential to be even more profitable, in the long run. Alvarez’s film, which takes place between the events of Alien and Aliens, carries a production budget in the $80 million range. Scott’s ambitious yet eternally divisive prequel was far more expensive, with a price tag in the $130 million range. That smaller budget means the film will get into profits more quickly. It’s also worth pointing out that the film has a lot more gas left in the tank and should be earring for weeks to come still.
In short, it’s a big success. That means we’re probably going to get another Alien movie sooner rather than later. What shape will that take, exactly? Alvarez has revealed that he already has ideas for a Romulus sequel, so that’s certainly an option. At the same time, franchise icon Sigourney Weaver recently said she would be open to return as Ripley for one last Alien film, under the right circumstances. It’s easy to see why that would be an appealing option as well. The ball is in your court, Disney.
The latest entry in the long-running series stars Cailee Spaeny (Civil War), David Jonsson (Murder is Easy), Archie Renaux (Shadow and Bone), Isabela Merced (The Last of Us), Spike Fearn (Aftersun) and Aileen Wu in her feature debut. The synopsis for the film reads as follows:
“ While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.”
Alien: Romulus is in theaters now. For more, check out the cover for FANGORIA #25, which features the return of Freddy Krueger.
