The Alien franchise has had a rocky road since its inception in 1979. Directed by Ridley Scott, the first installment introduced the Xenomorph to the world, which remains one of the most iconic creature designs of all time. The debut Alien also created one of the most well-known movie heroines in history in the form of Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley.
After James Cameron’s hit sequel, Aliens, in 1986, the franchise took a turn for the worse. Alien 3 (1992) was (and remains) divisive, and Alien: Resurrection marked a new franchise low in terms of its critical reception. The franchise then lay dormant for 15 years until Scott returned to make two prequels, Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017), the latter of which was a disappointment critically and at the box office. After a new director took the reins, however, things are now looking up for the Alien franchise.
Alien: Romulus Becomes A Streaming Hit
The 2024 Movie Succeeds At Home After Succeeding In Theaters
Alien: Romulus has become a top 10 streaming hit after its release in theaters earlier this year. Directed by Fede Alvarez, the latest installment in the long-running sci-fi horror saga brings the franchise back to its roots, in many ways, following Cailee Spaeny’s Rain Carradine and her crew as they face off against a Xenomorph aboard a derelict space station. Alien: Romulus was met with positive reviews, and the film went on to achieve success at the box office, grossing just over $350 million worldwide.
Related
Every Alien Movie In The Franchise, Ranked Worst To Best
Ridley Scott’s Alien marked a shift in the sci-fi genre and kicked off a space horror franchise, but there’s definitely a worst and best Alien movie.
New data from Reelgood now reveals that Alien: Romulus ranks as the third most popular title on streaming in the U.S. for the week of November 21 – 27. The sci-fi horror, which is available to watch on Hulu, comes behind two Taylor Sheridan shows, with Yellowstone occupying second place and Landman taking the number one spot.
Alvarez’s Alien movie comes ahead of titles like A Man on the Inside, Deadpool & Wolverine, Silo, Gladiator, and Twisters. When looking only at movies for the same time period, Alien: Romulus comes in at first place. Check out the full top 10 movies and TV shows list below:
|
Reelgood Top 10 Movies & TV Shows (Nov. 21 – 27) |
|
|---|---|
|
1 |
Landman |
|
2 |
Yellowstone |
|
3 |
Alien: Romulus |
|
4 |
A Man On The Inside |
|
5 |
Deadpool & Wolverine |
|
6 |
Silo |
|
7 |
Gladiator |
|
8 |
Twisters |
|
9 |
The Day of the Jackal |
|
10 |
Dune: Prophecy |
What Alien: Romulus’ Streaming Success Means For The Franchise
What’s Been Said About The Saga’s Future
Alien: Covenant‘s lackluster box office prevented Scott from making a third prequel in his David saga, but Romulus won’t suffer the same fate. Made on a budget of $80 million, the film was likely looking at a break-even point of between $160 million and $200 million, which it clearly exceeded. After the Alien: Romulus ending left the door open for more stories, 20th Century Studios boss Steve Asbell confirmed in October that a sequel is now in development, with both Rain and David Jonsson’s Andy expected to return.
Romulus
ends with Rain and Andy flying to Yvaga, and
Alvarez previously teased
that the planet may not be as wonderful as they were hoping.
Though a Romulus sequel was in development before the film achieved streaming success, this latest development still bodes well for the franchise. After Covenant, it wasn’t clear how much audience interest there actually was in this franchise, but Alvarez’s movie has ensured that Xenomorphs will return. It will likely be some time before an Alien: Romulus sequel arrives in theaters, but audiences are evidently enjoying revisiting the film from home following its theatrical run.
Source: Reelgood
Alien: Romulus is the seventh film in the Alien franchise. The movie is directed by Fede Álvarez and will focus on a new young group of characters who come face to face with the terrifying Xenomorphs. Alien: Romulus is a stand-alone film and takes place in a time not yet explored in the Alien franchise.
- Director
- Fede Alvarez
- Release Date
- August 16, 2024
- Studio(s)
- Scott Free Productions , 20th Century
- Distributor(s)
- 20th Century
- Writers
- Fede Alvarez , Rodo Sayagues , Dan O’Bannon , Ronald Shusett
- Cast
- Cailee Spaeny , David Jonsson , Archie Renaux , Isabela Merced , Spike Fearn , Aileen Wu , Rosie Ede , Soma Simon , Bence Okeke , Viktor Orizu , Robert Bobroczkyi , Trevor Newlin , Annemarie Griggs , Daniel Betts
- Character(s)
- Rain , Andy , Tyler , Kay , Bjorn , Navarro , WY Officer , 10-Year-Old Punk #1 , 10-Year-Old Punk #2 , 10-Year-Old Punk #3 , Offspring , Xenomorph , MU/TH/UR (voice) , Rook (Facial and Vocal Performance)
- Runtime
- 119 Minutes
