Disney's Alien: Romulus Change Means An 11 Year Franchise Record Can Be Broken
A look at how the upcoming Alien: Romulus movie, with its exclusive theatrical release date, has the potential to break a long-standing franchise record.
The Evolution of Alien: Romulus
The upcoming release of Alien: Romulus in 2024 marks a significant turning point for the Alien franchise. This will be the first movie in the franchise to come out since Disney acquired 20th Century, leading to a change in the release plan that could potentially break a long-standing franchise record.
Michael Fassbender's David holding an orb in Prometheus
Initially announced as a streaming exclusive on Hulu, Disney later confirmed in 2023 that Alien: Romulus would be getting an exclusive theatrical release date. This change in release plans has put the movie in a position to break a franchise record, setting the stage for an exciting journey for the sci-fi series.
Fede Alvarez, director of Alien Romulus, superimposed over two shots of Xenomorphs from the Alien franchise.
Alien: Romulus Aims to Break Box Office Records
The exclusive theatrical release of Alien: Romulus by Disney has given the movie the opportunity to break the franchise record for the highest-grossing movie. In order to achieve this, it will need to outgross Prometheus' impressive $403 million box office performance.
The success of Alien: Romulus at the box office will be a significant milestone for the franchise, especially considering the financial peak achieved by Ridley Scott's 2014 prequel, Prometheus. Alien: Covenant, the 2017 sequel, fell short of box office expectations, leading to the decision to pursue Alien: Romulus as the next direction for the franchise.
Predicting the Box Office Performance of Alien: Romulus
As the release date for Alien: Romulus approaches, the anticipation for its box office performance grows. While it's challenging to predict the exact figures at this stage, the movie's August 2024 release date positions it at the end of the summer blockbuster season, increasing its potential for strong performance through September.
While it may not reach the $1 billion mark, a global box office performance of $500 million would be a remarkable achievement for Disney and 20th Century. This could pave the way for a new trilogy and set a new benchmark for the Alien franchise.
