‘Alien: Romulus’ achieves $41M+ opening weekend, second highest in franchise history

Alien: Romulus has debuted with an impressive $41.5 million at the domestic box office, marking the second-highest opening in the 45-year-old franchise’s history. The film, directed by Fede Alvarez and starring Cailee Spaeny, also set a record for both Alvarez and Spaeny, surpassing their previous best openings. The global box office total for the film stands at $108.2 million.

According to data from EntTelligence, Alien: Romulus accounted for 2.7 million admissions, representing 27% of the weekend's total foot traffic. Alvarez’s previous box office success was the 2016 thriller Don’t Breathe, which opened to $26.4 million, while Spaeny's previous best was Pacific Rim Uprising with $28.1 million. Twenty-two percent of ticket buyers cited Alvarez’s involvement as a key reason for their attendance.

The film’s success was anticipated following its positive reception at San Diego Comic-Con, where extended footage was shown, and Disney distributed face hugger masks to attendees. The marketing campaign for Alien: Romulus also included a trailer that garnered nearly 50 million views within 24 hours of its release in March, trending on social media and topping YouTube’s charts.

In addition to the strong domestic performance, Imax and premium large format screenings contributed significantly to the weekend’s revenue, accounting for 52% of ticket sales. AMC Burbank reported the highest individual theater earnings at $127,000.

Alien: Romulus also benefited from various cinema partnerships, including immersive in-theater takeovers, custom food and beverage items, and life-size Xenomorph statues. This latest installment in the Alien franchise is expected to further solidify its legacy, with future projects such as the Noah Hawley FX series in development.