If all goes as planned, director Ridley Scott’s science fiction movie “Alien Covenant” will rule the global box office this weekend with an American debut of $35 million or more. That is enough to topple Marvel and Disney’s action film “Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2,” which is atop the chart for over two weekends.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2” grossed up to $30 million in its opening weekend, and critics say that “Alien: Covenant” will earn a lot more than this film. Ridley’s second installment in the “Alien” prequel franchise cost Fox $97.2 million to produce and market, featuring an assemble cast led by Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, and Michael Fassbender.
In June 2012, Scott’s action movie “Prometheus” debuted to $50 million at the global box office.
‘Alien: Covenant’ at the box office
In North America, the film will be released alongside “Everything, Everything” and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul” and is expected to earn over $40 million from 4,300 theaters during the opening weekend.
Fox released the movie in international markets two weeks ahead of its domestic release. Previously, its overall rank was second behind “Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2.” The top openings were in the United Kingdom ($6.3 million), South Korea ($7.1 million), France ($4.3 million), Australia ($3.3 million) and Mexico ($2.6 million).
Fox is on double duty this weekend, between “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul” and “Alien: Covenant.” “The Long Haul” features new cast members, and the studio hopes that this film will gross over $12 million domestically in the opening weekend.
The film is developed with a production budget of $22 million, targeting moviegoers between the ages 12 to 20. On the other hand, “Alien: Covenant” is an ideal movie for people from age 19 to 55.
The casting details
“Alien: Covenant” is written by John Logan and Dante Harper, with a story treatment by Jack Paglen. It is the sixth film in the “Alien” series and the third project by Ridley Scott.
The film features Demián Bichir as Sergeant, Alexander England as Ankor, Amy Seimetz as Faris, Billy Crudup as Oram, Callie Hernandez as Upworth, Benjamin Rigby as Ledward, Michael Fassbender as Walter, Danny McBride as Tennessee, Jussie Smollett as Ricks, Katherine Waterston as Dany, Nathaniel Dean as Sergeant, and Carmen Ejogo as Oram.
Noomi Rapace reprises her role as Shaw, the archaeologist who previously destroyed “Prometheus,” and Guy Pearce is back as Weyland, the CEO of Weyland Corporation who died with the destruction of “Prometheus.”
