Alien: Romulus, the latest installment in the 45-year-old franchise, has opened in first place at the North American box office. Login or signup to continue reading The 20th Century Studios release earned an estimated $US41.5 million ($A62.
2 million) in its first weekend, where it was playing in 3885 locations in the US and Canada. Including $US66.7 million from international showings in 49 markets, Alien: Romulus boasted a $US108.
2 million global debut. Walt Disney Co., which owns 20th Century Studios, claimed the top two spots on the charts, with Marvel's Deadpool & Wolverine now in its fourth weekend, taking second place with $US29 million.
Fede Alvarez directed Alien: Romulus, set around the time of Alien and Aliens, and recruited a cast of up-and-coming 20-somethings to lead the cast including Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson and Isabela Merced. The sci-fi film leans into Alvarez's propensity for all things horror, as he is known for Evil Dead and Don't Breathe, and embraces the franchise's horror roots. Reviews have been a little mixed, but mostly positive, with an 81 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Audiences gave it a B+ CinemaScore. The romantic drama It Ends With Us landed in third place with $US24 million, down just 52 per cent from its triumphant opening. The Sony movie starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, who also directed, has made $US97.
8 million to date. It cost only $US25 million to produce. The film was adapted from the bestselling Colleen Hoover novel of the s.