Alien: Covenant Box Office Performance

[Protozoid]

Studios always low-ball to save face if a film doesn't open as well as projected. Rival studios will sometimes try to do the opposite. $35 seems too low, honestly, given that Prometheus opened w/ $51 mil 5 years ago. I know that film was divisive, but the focus on the actual Xeno & having Alien in the title is supposed to balance that.

That might result in Resurrection-level profits, rather than Prometheus or The Martian profits. In fact, when you adjust for inflation, each Alien movie was earning less... until Prometheus. My impression is that the Alien franchise is dying, and that Prometheus reversed the downward trends with critics, fans, and profits by jettisoning the familiar iconography and rebooting as something more cutting edge.

Adjusted for inflation, yes, it's a downward trend. Also working against it is the budget for each film, excluding the AVP films, increased. If the numbers being reported are accurate, Covenant is the first film to have a lower budget than it's predecessor. On the positive side of things, the international earnings for each film has increased.

A chart from Box Office Mojo: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=alien.htm

Worldwide only increased unadjusted. Adjusted I'm sure it it also declining, with Prometheus as an exception.

[Spidey3121]

Studios always low-ball to save face if a film doesn't open as well as projected. Rival studios will sometimes try to do the opposite. $35 seems too low, honestly, given that Prometheus opened w/ $51 mil 5 years ago. I know that film was divisive, but the focus on the actual Xeno & having Alien in the title is supposed to balance that.

That might result in Resurrection-level profits, rather than Prometheus or The Martian profits. In fact, when you adjust for inflation, each Alien movie was earning less... until Prometheus. My impression is that the Alien franchise is dying, and that Prometheus reversed the downward trends with critics, fans, and profits by jettisoning the familiar iconography and rebooting as something more cutting edge.

Adjusted for inflation, yes, it's a downward trend. Also working against it is the budget for each film, excluding the AVP films, increased. If the numbers being reported are accurate, Covenant is the first film to have a lower budget than it's predecessor. On the positive side of things, the international earnings for each film has increased.

A chart from Box Office Mojo: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=alien.htm

Worldwide only increased unadjusted. Adjusted I'm sure it it also declining, with Prometheus as an exception.

International receipts are never adjusted. Impossible to know. A general trend, one that has really boomed within the past decade, are films taking off overseas. Both Alien 3 & Resurrection dropped off substantial on the domestic front w/o inflation as well.

[GQSioux]

They're predicting 41.4 for opening weekend:


http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=4293&p=.htm

[Robopadna]

Studios always low-ball to save face if a film doesn't open as well as projected. Rival studios will sometimes try to do the opposite. $35 seems too low, honestly, given that Prometheus opened w/ $51 mil 5 years ago. I know that film was divisive, but the focus on the actual Xeno & having Alien in the title is supposed to balance that.

That might result in Resurrection-level profits, rather than Prometheus or The Martian profits. In fact, when you adjust for inflation, each Alien movie was earning less... until Prometheus. My impression is that the Alien franchise is dying, and that Prometheus reversed the downward trends with critics, fans, and profits by jettisoning the familiar iconography and rebooting as something more cutting edge.

From the box office, Prometheus most likely lost money.

[dkwookie]

Studios always low-ball to save face if a film doesn't open as well as projected. Rival studios will sometimes try to do the opposite. $35 seems too low, honestly, given that Prometheus opened w/ $51 mil 5 years ago. I know that film was divisive, but the focus on the actual Xeno & having Alien in the title is supposed to balance that.

That might result in Resurrection-level profits, rather than Prometheus or The Martian profits. In fact, when you adjust for inflation, each Alien movie was earning less... until Prometheus. My impression is that the Alien franchise is dying, and that Prometheus reversed the downward trends with critics, fans, and profits by jettisoning the familiar iconography and rebooting as something more cutting edge.

From the box office, Prometheus most likely lost money.

Only if you believe Hollywood accounting. And if you do then please can you invest in my new company. Guaranteed 100% return on every $

[cucuchu]

About 20 minutes from start time and cinema is packed here. 2nd showing of night too and people coming out of first showing seemed please. Hope other cinemas as packed as this. Will mean good things for box office

[Spidey3121]

15 mins from showtime here, & that sadly also represents how many people are currently in the theater. I am pumped the f**k up tho!

[dkwookie]

About 20 minutes from start time and cinema is packed here. 2nd showing of night too and people coming out of first showing seemed please. Hope other cinemas as packed as this. Will mean good things for box office

Thanks for report. I reckon it's going to do well in the US. 45 million maybe?

15 mins from showtime here, & that sadly also represents how many people are currently in the theater. I am pumped the f**k up tho!

I watched Return Of The Jedi in a totally empty cinema and made the most of it. Get the best seat in the cinema, put your feet up and enjoy

[gantarat]

When we will know US box office number ?

[Robopadna]

Studios always low-ball to save face if a film doesn't open as well as projected. Rival studios will sometimes try to do the opposite. $35 seems too low, honestly, given that Prometheus opened w/ $51 mil 5 years ago. I know that film was divisive, but the focus on the actual Xeno & having Alien in the title is supposed to balance that.

That might result in Resurrection-level profits, rather than Prometheus or The Martian profits. In fact, when you adjust for inflation, each Alien movie was earning less... until Prometheus. My impression is that the Alien franchise is dying, and that Prometheus reversed the downward trends with critics, fans, and profits by jettisoning the familiar iconography and rebooting as something more cutting edge.

From the box office, Prometheus most likely lost money.

Only if you believe Hollywood accounting. And if you do then please can you invest in my new company. Guaranteed 100% return on every $

No, it pretty clearly lost money and absolutely did from the box office.  The simple actions by the studio make this glaringly obvious to anyone with any knowledge of how the box office works or the ability to simply logically think through cause and effect.

Not everything is magical 'hollywood accounting' when it comes up bad for a movie you wanted to do well.  Often times they just don't do well.  Prometheus lost money from the box office.  I'm sorry, I have no problem discussing the profit etc of films but it's more helpful when the other person has some sense of how percentages and math works.

I don't think I would invest in your company because I am fairly certain you have no clue what you are talking about.

[dkwookie]

Studios always low-ball to save face if a film doesn't open as well as projected. Rival studios will sometimes try to do the opposite. $35 seems too low, honestly, given that Prometheus opened w/ $51 mil 5 years ago. I know that film was divisive, but the focus on the actual Xeno & having Alien in the title is supposed to balance that.

That might result in Resurrection-level profits, rather than Prometheus or The Martian profits. In fact, when you adjust for inflation, each Alien movie was earning less... until Prometheus. My impression is that the Alien franchise is dying, and that Prometheus reversed the downward trends with critics, fans, and profits by jettisoning the familiar iconography and rebooting as something more cutting edge.

From the box office, Prometheus most likely lost money.

Only if you believe Hollywood accounting. And if you do then please can you invest in my new company. Guaranteed 100% return on every $

No, it pretty clearly lost money and absolutely did from the box office.  The simple actions by the studio make this glaringly obvious to anyone with any knowledge of how the box office works or the ability to simply logically think through cause and effect.

Not everything is magical 'hollywood accounting' when it comes up bad for a movie you wanted to do well.  Often times they just don't do well.

I don't think I would invest in your company because I am fairly certain you have no clue what you are talking about.

Well 20th Century Fox isn't a charity so if Prometheus lost them money why would they go with a sequel? My mum used to say why throw good money after bad

Studios always low-ball to save face if a film doesn't open as well as projected. Rival studios will sometimes try to do the opposite. $35 seems too low, honestly, given that Prometheus opened w/ $51 mil 5 years ago. I know that film was divisive, but the focus on the actual Xeno & having Alien in the title is supposed to balance that.

That might result in Resurrection-level profits, rather than Prometheus or The Martian profits. In fact, when you adjust for inflation, each Alien movie was earning less... until Prometheus. My impression is that the Alien franchise is dying, and that Prometheus reversed the downward trends with critics, fans, and profits by jettisoning the familiar iconography and rebooting as something more cutting edge.

From the box office, Prometheus most likely lost money.

Only if you believe Hollywood accounting. And if you do then please can you invest in my new company. Guaranteed 100% return on every $

No, it pretty clearly lost money and absolutely did from the box office.  The simple actions by the studio make this glaringly obvious to anyone with any knowledge of how the box office works or the ability to simply logically think through cause and effect.

Not everything is magical 'hollywood accounting' when it comes up bad for a movie you wanted to do well.  Often times they just don't do well.  Prometheus lost money from the box office.  I'm sorry, I have no problem discussing the profit etc of films but it's more helpful when the other person has some sense of how percentages and math works.

I don't think I would invest in your company because I am fairly certain you have no clue what you are talking about.

Ok you edited before I replied. Budget for Prometheus was what 125? Just over 400 mil at box office. Seems like a good return to me

When Dredd was released Alex Garland said if it hits 50 million in the US it's a hit. The budget on that film was 30 million or so. It flopped big time but he gave a good insight into what investors look for, not studio suits.
Anyone looking at budget vs box office should look into that film

[Robopadna]

Studios always low-ball to save face if a film doesn't open as well as projected. Rival studios will sometimes try to do the opposite. $35 seems too low, honestly, given that Prometheus opened w/ $51 mil 5 years ago. I know that film was divisive, but the focus on the actual Xeno & having Alien in the title is supposed to balance that.

That might result in Resurrection-level profits, rather than Prometheus or The Martian profits. In fact, when you adjust for inflation, each Alien movie was earning less... until Prometheus. My impression is that the Alien franchise is dying, and that Prometheus reversed the downward trends with critics, fans, and profits by jettisoning the familiar iconography and rebooting as something more cutting edge.

From the box office, Prometheus most likely lost money.

Only if you believe Hollywood accounting. And if you do then please can you invest in my new company. Guaranteed 100% return on every $

No, it pretty clearly lost money and absolutely did from the box office.  The simple actions by the studio make this glaringly obvious to anyone with any knowledge of how the box office works or the ability to simply logically think through cause and effect.

Not everything is magical 'hollywood accounting' when it comes up bad for a movie you wanted to do well.  Often times they just don't do well.

I don't think I would invest in your company because I am fairly certain you have no clue what you are talking about.

Well 20th Century Fox isn't a charity so if Prometheus lost them money why would they go with a sequel? My mum used to say why throw good money after bad

Studios always low-ball to save face if a film doesn't open as well as projected. Rival studios will sometimes try to do the opposite. $35 seems too low, honestly, given that Prometheus opened w/ $51 mil 5 years ago. I know that film was divisive, but the focus on the actual Xeno & having Alien in the title is supposed to balance that.

That might result in Resurrection-level profits, rather than Prometheus or The Martian profits. In fact, when you adjust for inflation, each Alien movie was earning less... until Prometheus. My impression is that the Alien franchise is dying, and that Prometheus reversed the downward trends with critics, fans, and profits by jettisoning the familiar iconography and rebooting as something more cutting edge.

From the box office, Prometheus most likely lost money.

Only if you believe Hollywood accounting. And if you do then please can you invest in my new company. Guaranteed 100% return on every $

No, it pretty clearly lost money and absolutely did from the box office.  The simple actions by the studio make this glaringly obvious to anyone with any knowledge of how the box office works or the ability to simply logically think through cause and effect.

Not everything is magical 'hollywood accounting' when it comes up bad for a movie you wanted to do well.  Often times they just don't do well.  Prometheus lost money from the box office.  I'm sorry, I have no problem discussing the profit etc of films but it's more helpful when the other person has some sense of how percentages and math works.

I don't think I would invest in your company because I am fairly certain you have no clue what you are talking about.

Ok you edited before I replied. Budget for Prometheus was what 125? Just over 400 mil at box office. Seems like a good return to me

When Dredd was released Alex Garland said if it hits 50 million in the US it's a hit. The budget on that film was 30 million or so. It flopped big time but he gave a good insight into what investors look for, not studio suits.
Anyone looking at budget vs box office should look into that film

None of what you are saying is correct.   Good luck with everything but Prometheus cost far more than 130 and the studio got far less than 400. That is simply how the basic math works.

Dredd isn't unusual. The film had a tiny marketing budget. If it did 50 in the us then it would do comparable over seas and financially it would have pretty much broken even before taking anything into account.

Also the writer isn't who you want to be leaning on to tell you financials. Most people involved don't know and never are told costs. Why would they be?  Their job is to make a good movie and not worry about how much money is or isn't made.

[Spidey3121]

$4.2 mil from Thursday night

https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2017/05/19/box-office-alien-covenant-earns-promising-4-2-million-thursday/?c=0&s=BoxOffice

[cucuchu]

$4.2 mil from Thursday night

https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2017/05/19/box-office-alien-covenant-earns-promising-4-2-million-thursday/?c=0&s=BoxOffice

I can see that. Local cinema was sold out for early showing and packed during late showing I was at. The crowd was really into it and enjoyed it. I will see it again tomorrow with my wife and see what the crowd is like. We will see if this thing has legs but that is a good start.

[Robopadna]

$4.2 mil from Thursday night

https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2017/05/19/box-office-alien-covenant-earns-promising-4-2-million-thursday/?c=0&s=BoxOffice

I can see that. Local cinema was sold out for early showing and packed during late showing I was at. The crowd was really into it and enjoyed it. I will see it again tomorrow with my wife and see what the crowd is like. We will see if this thing has legs but that is a good start.

That's pretty good. If it holds well over the weekend and it hits 50 that would be a far better than expected opening