SATURDAY AM UPDATE: 20th Century Studios’ Fede Alvarez directed Alien: Romulus is still looking at the 45-year old franchise’s second biggest opening with $40M-$42M for the weekend after an $18M Friday. Disney has bragging rights for second place in the fourth weekend of Deadpool & Wolverine at $27M, -50%, while Sony/Wayfarer Studios’ It Ends With Us second weekend takes third with $24M, -52%.
An great late summer weekend in August at $136.6M, that’s 36% ahead of the same frame last year, and 13% ahead of the same pre-Covid August weekend in 2019.
The expectation is that Alien: Romulus will hold at -23% today off it’s Friday/preview figure which is around what Alien: Covenant, the previous chapter, back in 2017. Alien: Romulus gets at B+ CinemaScore, which is better than Alien: Covenant‘s B, but still behind the franchise’s best which was James Cameron’s 1986 Aliens which scored an A. Still not bad.
PLF and Imax are accounting for 52% of ticket sales so far for an audience that’s very dude at 70% male, 25-34 being the biggest demo at 33% with 18-34 attending at 60%. Diversity mix is 43% Caucasian, 26% Latino and Hispanic, 14% Black, 12% Asian and 6% NatAm/Other. Alien: Romulus is playing the best in the West, Mountain and South Central with the AMC Lincoln Square the highest grossing venue stateside with close to $70K so far.
Social media monitor RelishMix counts 246.8 followers across TikTok, Facebook, X, YouTube and Instagram for Alien: Romulus, 12% ahead of other action sci-fi genres, yet behind Alien: Covenant‘s 352M followers. Social media charged cast members are Isabela Merced at 5.7M fans, Archie Renaux at 576K and Cailee Spaeny at 393K. Despite the overperformance here, RelishMix noticed mixed chatter for the installment in the walk-up to opening with some of the upbeat praise centering around fans’ respect for Alvarez “honoring the legacy of the original two Alien films. ‘Fede Alvarez understood the assignment,’ and, ‘I am actually intrigued by this and how it expands on the existing mystery of the Alien.’ Others have highlighted the aesthetic and atmospheric elements of the trailer, sharing, ‘The use of what looks like quite a lot of practical effects is amazing,’ and, ‘Dark and ominous, can’t wait!’”
Best opening for an Alien movie goes to Ridley Scott’s 2012 Prometheus which posted a first day of $21.4M in previews/Friday for a $51M 3-day.
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20th Century Studios
FRIDAY MIDDAY UPDATE: 20th Century Studios/Disney’s Fede Alvarez directed Alien: Romulus is headed for a $40M+ opening at 3,885 theaters in first place after a previews/Friday of $18.5M+. Screen Engine/Comscore PostTrak audience exits last night were happy with the movie at 82% positive, 4 stars and a 65% definite recommend. The biggest opening for an Alien movie remains the 2012 Ridley Scott directed prequel Prometheus at $51M.
Fans showed up at 71% men, with 54% over 25. The 18-34 crowd repped 54% of the audience. Despite the younger cast here in Isabel Merced, Cailey Spaeny and David Jonsson among others, 74% of the crowd were over 25.
Next is Marvel Studios/Disney’s fourth weekend of Deadpool & Wolverine at 3,960 locations with $27M-$29M after a $8.5M Friday. At the high end, the Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman pic could clear $545.7M by Sunday.
Third belongs to Sony/Wayfarer Studios’ Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni romance drama It Ends With Us at 3,739 sites with a second Friday of $7.5M and second weekend at $23M, -54%. Note that could very well improve throughout the weekend; some believe the pic could movie closer to D&W 3-day take. Cume by Sunday is $96.7M.
The fifth weekend of Twisters from Universal/Warner Bros at 3,483 theaters is looking at $2.5M today for