”Alien: Romulus” scared up $108.2 million in its global box office debut, including $66.7 million from 49 international territories.
Disney, the studio behind the newest chapter in the long-running sci-fi horror saga, reported that overseas ticket sales are pacing ahead of “A Quiet Place: Day One” by 47% and fellow “Alien” installment “Prometheus” by 17% in like-for-like markets at current exchange rates. That trajectory is promising because Paramount’s horror prequel “A Quiet Place: Day One” has grossed $122 million internationally while “Prometheus” ended its international run with $276 million.
At the domestic box office, “Alien: Romulus” scored $41.5 million in its opening weekend, marking the second-highest start of the otherworldly series behind “Prometheus” ($51 million). Outside of the U.S. and Canada, the film enjoyed the best liftoff in China with $25.7 million — the second-biggest debut of the year for a Hollywood film in the country. Since the pandemic, most Hollywood movies have been largely ignored by Chinese audiences, but “Alien: Romulus” seems to be connecting with moviegoers. Other top-earning territories include Korea with $5.4 million, the United Kingdom with $4.8 million and France with $3.8 million.
“Alien: Romulus,” directed by Fede Alvarez (“Don’t Breathe”), is the seventh installment in the franchise that began 45 years ago with Ridley Scott’s 1979 monster adventure “Alien.” This entry cost $80 million and centers on young intergalactic colonists (Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux and Isabela Merced among them) who come face to face with a terrifying life form while scavenging a rundown space station.
Meanwhile, “It Ends With Us,” starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, has officially achieved sleeper hit status. Over the weekend, the film added $33.1 million at the international box office, bringing its overseas tally to $82.2 million. With those ticket sales, the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s literary sensation has surpassed a remarkable $180 million globally after just 10 days of release. Sony Pictures and Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios co-financed “It Ends With Us” for $25 million, making for some enviable profit margins.
Disney’s Marvel adventure “Deadpool &Wolverine” also enjoyed a big weekend with $32.9 million from 52 overseas markets and $61.9 million globally.