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Alien: Covenant opens lower than expected at the US box office

Sun May 21, 2017 3:56 pm

But it's still managed to snag the top spot from Guardians


Alien: Covenant has scraped its way into the top spot of the US box office in its opening weekend, but it's still proven to be a bit of a disappointment by failing to perform at the level of 2012's Prometheus or 2004's Alien vs. Predator.

According to Box Office Mojo, Sir Ridley Scott's latest grossed $36 million this weekend to take the top spot – but only just, as it edged out Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 from the top spot after three weeks by just over $1 million dollars.

While it was expected to make a little less than Prometheus' opening of $51 million, purely because that film was much more of a mystery to fans before it opened, Forbes notes that making less than Alien vs Predator's $38.2 million opening was a bit unexpected.

But at least Scott doesn't have to be concerned just yet, as the film's relatively low budget of $97 million means that it can afford to make a little less money and still be considered a success – and it is actually a lot better than Prometheus anyway, so we'll sure it'll do the numbers.

Elsewhere in the box office charts, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is still bringing in the crowds as it took another $35,062,000 this week, taking its total US gross to just over $300 million and closer towards even more box office milestones.

The Marvel sequel, starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista and Bradley Cooper, has been dominating the box office since it was released at the beginning of May.

Of this week's other new entries, the latest young adult book adaptation to hit screens brought in the most, with Everything, Everything scooping $12,000,000 over the weekend to finish in third.

The romantic drama follows teenager Maddy (Amandla Stenberg) who is confined to her house due to an illness, until she meets her neighbour Olly (Nick Robinson).

It's worse news for Guy Ritchie's King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, though, as the fantasy epic continues to fail to attract audiences, picking up another $6,850,000 in its second week of release.

Somehow, we don't think it'll be making back its $175 million budget any time soon.

The top five this week was rounded out by Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn's Snatched and new entry Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul, which earned $7,600,000 and $7,200,000 to end the week in the fourth and fifth spots respectively.

Check out the May 19-21 box office figures below:

1 – Alien: Covenant – $36 million
2 – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – $35.1 million
3 – Everything, Everything – $12 million
4 – Snatched – $7.6 million
5 – Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul – $7.2 million
6 – King Arthur: Legend of the Sword – $6.85 million
7 – The Fate of the Furious – $3.17 million
8 – The Boss Baby – $2.8 million
9 – Beauty and the Beast – $2.4 million
10 – How to Be a Latin Lover – $2.2 million
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