Box office preview: ‘Alien: Romulus’ brings outer space terror back to theaters
August continues with one more franchise film that stands the best chance at making money before the month ends. Read on for Gold Derby’s box office preview.
It has been 45 years since filmmaker Ridley Scott first got attention with his horror-sci-fi film “Alien” and seven years since his last movie in that franchise, 2017’s “Alien: Covenant.” Sir Ridley is still involved as a producer with “Alien: Romulus,” the first movie produced under 20th Century since being bought by Disney. For this latest reboot, they’ve brought on Fede álvarez, best known for the “Don’t Breathe” movies and the 2013 remake of Sam Raimi‘s “Evil Dead.”
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It’s been a long time since Sigourney Weaver‘s Ripley was leading these things, but for this one, they’ve brought on Cailee Spaeny of “Civil War” and “Priscilla,” as well as Isabela Merced from “Transformers: The Last Knight” and “Dora and the Lost City of Gold.” Not that it matters who the humans are in these movies normally, but you have to imagine that having bigger names like Michael Fassbender and Charlize Theron didn’t hurt Sir Ridley’s “Prometheus” from doing so well in 2012.
It might be pointless to go all the way back to the ‘90s and how those movies did since after James Cameron‘s “Aliens” in 1986, it was almost 20 years since an even remotely successful movie in the franchise.
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Even so, here are few more recent comparisons:
May 19, 2017 – “Alien: Covenant” $36.2m (opening), $74.3m (domestic), $238.5m (worldwide)
June 8, 2012 – “Prometheus” $51m (o), $126.5m (d), $402.4m (w)
Dec. 25, 2007 – “Aliens vs. Predator – Requiem” $10m (o), $41.8m (d), $128.9m (w)
Aug. 13, 2004 – “AVP: Alien vs. Predator” $38.3m (o), $80.3m (d), $172.5 (w)
As you can see, this franchise has not been one with huge mega-blockbusters with “Prometheus” having the biggest opening and worldwide gross for the entire franchise, which might make some wonder why the filmmakers keep returning to this well every decade or so. They also have been quite front-loaded, which means that they’re more about opening weekend than any sort of legs. One presumes that putting the focus more on the horror a la the original “Alien” will get younger people more interested, as will álvarez’s previous forays into the horror realm.
Disney has done a commendable job selling this one based on those horror elements, focusing more on the facehuggers in marketing than the more recognizable xenomorphs. Although reviews won’t hit Rotten Tomatoes until Wednesday afternoon, early reactions have been good, and the movie should be able to open with $45 million or more this weekend, bolstered by IMAX and other PLF (premium large format) screens.
There are many other movies either opening or expanding wide this Friday, but not one single one of them has reported even an estimated theater count. Not that it matters since it might be tough for any of them to get into the top 10 or make more than $2 million this weekend.
One of the stronger offerings is Roadside Attractions’ family-friendly “My Penguin Friend,” which teams France’s Jean Reno with (you guessed it) a penguin, and with animated films “Despicable Me 4” and “Inside Out 2” having been out for months, parents may be looking for something else for the kids who aren’t back in school yet.
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Elizabeth Banks stars in “Skincare,” Austin Peters‘ dramatic thriller from IFC Films, in which she plays “aesthetician” Hope Goldman, who gets into a bitter feud with a competing skincare specialist. This is also getting a wide release into roughly 765 theaters, so it will probably end up with $2 million or less, barring any surprises.
I know significantly less about “Ryan’s World The Movie: Titan Universe Adventure,” which is a feature based on the (presumably) popular YouTube star Ryan Kaji, who (again presumably) appeals to the youngest of tots. Apparently, this is being released into over 2,000 theaters this weekend by new distributor, Falling Forward Films, and it’s hard to imagine this can do better than 2012’s “The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure,” which still holds a record for the worst opening by a movie in more than 2,000 theaters, but it could end up with somewhere closer to $2 million.
After many weeks in limited release, Sean Wang‘s coming-of-age film, “Dìdi,” is scheduled to expand into 500 theaters, but that probably will end up with less than a million and not enough to crack the Top 10.
Also being released into roughly 500 theaters this weekend is the Chiwetel Ejiofor-directed “Rob Peace,” starring Jay Will as the title character from Jeff Hobbs‘ book (also adapted by Ejiofor), who has the brains to get into Yale, though his tough past as the son of a drugdealer (played by Ejiofor) leads him down a different path, trying to get his father out of jail.
Check back on Sunday to see whether “Alien: Romulus” manages to exceed our expectations.
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