(Los Angeles) The latest installment in the science fiction saga Alien took the top spot at the North American box office on its opening weekend, according to figures from specialist firm Exhibitor Relations on Sunday.
In its first days in theaters, Alien: Romulus, by Uruguayan director Fede Alvarez, grossed $41.5 million between Friday and Sunday.
“A great start for a horror movie sequel,” said David A. Gross, an analyst for Franchise Entertainment Research.
Romulus is the ninth film in the Alien universe, which began in 1979 with British director Ridley Scott’s “Alien.” The latest installment tells the story of space colonists who, while exploring an abandoned space station, encounter a face-eating alien.
This fanfare debut for Romulus signify the fall to second place of Marvel superheroes Deadpool & Wolverinewith $29 million in its fourth weekend in theaters.
Driven by the popularity of stars Ryan Reynolds (Dead Pool) and Hugh Jackman (Wolverine), the Disney blockbuster had recently passed the billion dollar mark in international revenue.
Based on the best-selling book by American writer Colleen Hoover, It ends with us (Sony), starring the star of Gossip Girl Blake Lively slipped to third place with $24 million in revenue after a strong debut last week.
In fourth position, Twisters (Universal), a remake of the 1996 disaster film about the devastating Oklahoma tornadoes, grossed $9.8 million, dropping another spot from last weekend.
The new theatrical release of the animated film Coralinefor his 15the anniversary, comes in fifth place, with $8.4 million.
For analyst David A. Gross, these saga sequels like Romulus, TwistersAnd Dead Pool represent “an undeniable boon for the film industry.”
The rest of the top 10
- 6. Despicable Me 4 ($6 million)
- 7. Trap (3.4 million)
- 8. Inside Out 2 (3.2 million)
- 9. Borderlands (2.4 million)
- 10. Stree 2 (2.3 million)