‘Alien: Covenant’ edges ‘Guardians’ at weekend box office

LOS ANGELES >> “Alien: Covenant” edged out “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2” in the weekend box-office space battle.

Ridley Scott’s latest “Alien” exploit opened with $36 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. “Guardians” was close behind with just over $35 million in its third week of release.

“You couldn’t get two outer-space operas that are more different in terms of point-of-view and execution,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for ComScore.

Fox’s “Alien: Covenant” is a dark, R-rated scare-fest about slimy, parasitic space monsters; Disney’s “Guardians” is a sweet, family-centered romp across the cosmos.

“‘Alien’ is sort of the dark side,” Dergarabedian said. “It’s the R-rated yin to ‘Guardians’ PG-13-rated, fun yang.”

Two other new releases landed in the top five. Warner Bros.’ teen romance “Everything, Everything” debuted in third place with $12 million, and Fox’s “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul,” opened in fifth with $7.2 million.

“Snatched,” Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn’s R-rated comedy from Fox, fell to fourth place in its second week of release with $7.6 million.

“Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2” provided a solid launch to the summer movie season with more than $300 million in North American ticket sales so far, Dergarabedian said, though grosses are running about 10 percent behind last summer’s totals.

May is following a typical pattern, he said. Marvel movies kick off the month, which ends with Memorial Day tent poles like next weekend’s “Baywatch” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.”

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Final domestic figures will be