Scary space movie dethrones funny space movie at US box offices
LOS ANGELES — In a battle of space films, Ridley Scott’s new release Alien: Covenant narrowly beat out the popular Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 on North American screens this weekend, according to industry estimates.
Alien, the sixth installment in a lucrative franchise, took in $36 million for the three-day weekend, edging past the $35.1 million logged by Disney’s Guardians in its third week, according to specialized site Exhibitor Relations.
The Fox/ Scott Free Productions stars Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston and Bill Crudup in a tense yarn about the crew of space ship Covenant landing on a planet that seems idyllic — until terrifying aliens attack.
Guardians, a lighthearted Disney flick about a band of misfit space adventurers played by Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel, showed continued strength, surpassing $300 million in domestic ticket sales to date.
In third place was new release Everything, Everything, a Warner Bros. romantic drama about a young woman (Amandla Stenberg) who must spend her life indoors in a sterile environment due to a genetic disorder. But after falling in love with a neighbor (Nick Robinson), she begins doubting her diagnosis. The film took in $12 million from a largely young and female audience, Web site BoxOfficeMojo reported.
Next was Snatched from Fox, starring Goldie Hawn and Amy Schumer as a mother and daughter on a wild jungle adventure. Its weekend take was $7.6 million.
In fifth was another Fox film, newly released Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul — the latest in the popular series after a five-year hiatus — with $7.2 million. The film stars Jason Drucker as long-suffering 12-year-old Greg, whose mother (Alicia Silverstone) drags the family along on a road trip to Grandma’s 90th birthday celebration.
Rounding out the top 10 were: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword ($6.9 million); The Fate of the Furious ($ 3.2 million); The Boss Baby ($2.8 million); Beauty and the Beast ($2.4 million), the film is now in the all-time top-10 worldwide; and, How to Be a Latin Lover ($2.2 million).