Alien: Romulus scared up strong business in its box office debut as it sets out to revive the classic franchise. The 20th Century and Disney movie topped the domestic weekend chart with $45.1 million, well ahead of a projected debut in the high-$20 million range and the second-best opening of the franchise, not adjusted for inflation. (Romulus also gets bragging rights for being the film that finally toppled Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine from the top spot.)
Romulus is succeeding in appealing to younger males in addition to older males who grew up on the franchise. It’s also another win for the Disney film empire — which accounts for the 42 percent of summer box office revenue — and the summer box office overall. The movie sports a fresh 82 percent critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, and received a near-franchise best B+ CinemaScore.
The top 12 movies of the weekend, as of Sunday, August 18, are as follows:
| # | Title | Distributor Name | Weekend Total | # of Locs | Loc Avg | Cume Total | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alien: Romulus | 20th Century Studios | $41,500,000 | 3,885 | $10,682 | $41,500,000 | |
| 2 | Deadpool & Wolverine | Disney | $29,000,000 | 3,960 | $7,323 | $545,816,895 | -46% |
| 3 | It Ends with Us | Sony | $24,000,000 | 3,739 | $6,419 | $97,784,697 | -52% |
| 4 | Twisters | Universal | $9,800,000 | 3,483 | $2,814 | $238,439,315 | -35% |
| 5 | Coraline 15th Anniversary | Fathom Events | $8,632,981 | 1,603 | $5,386 | $11,760,626 | |
| 6 | Despicable Me 4 | Universal | $6,000,000 | 2,788 | $2,152 | $340,402,155 | -25% |
| 7 | Trap | Warner Bros. | $3,435,000 | 2,436 | $1,410 | $35,214,485 | -48% |
| 8 | Inside Out 2 | Disney | $3,200,000 | 1,850 | $1,730 | $642,194,883 | -34% |
| 9 | Borderlands | Lionsgate | $2,350,000 | 3,125 | $752 | $13,542,237 | -73% |
| 10 | Stree 2 | Prathyangira Cinemas | $2,183,454 | 666 | $3,278 | $2,570,475 | |
| 11 | Harold and the Purple Crayon | Sony | $1,025,000 | 1,829 | $560 | $15,715,919 | -67% |
| 12 | My Penguin Friend | Roadside Attractions | $1,022,670 | 1,080 | $947 | $1,022,670 |
