• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Social Security unraveling: 7,100 workers sacked, performance metrics retired, disability claims falling

2

Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent

3

'Where we are today is frightening': a Pulitzer-winning historian sees a doomsday scenario involving China and the national debt

1

Social Security unraveling: 7,100 workers sacked, performance metrics retired, disability claims falling

2

Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent

3

'Where we are today is frightening': a Pulitzer-winning historian sees a doomsday scenario involving China and the national debt
Arts & Entertainment

‘Alien: Covenant’ Slips Past ‘Guardians 2’ to Win Box Office With $36 Million

By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 22, 2017, 5:48 AM ET

As this weekend approached, the question lingered if Alien: Covenant would be able to unseat Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 from the top spot at the domestic box office.

Now, we have an answer. As of Sunday morning, Covenant, from 20th Century Fox (FOX) and Scott Free Productions, looks to be the winner with a three-day estimate of $36 million from 3,761 locations. That’s just above Disney’s Guardians sequel which is raking in an additional $35.3 million from 4,347 spots. The super sequel is seeing only a 46% drop from last weekend, and its total domestic earnings now exceed $300 million.

While Alien may have won, the film’s price tag in the $100 million range and marketing costs detract from the victory. The sixth installment in the Alien franchise (not counting the two Alien vs. Predator films) was directed by Ridley Scott and stars Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, and Danny McBride. It holds a 73% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is in line with 2012’s Prometheus. Although it came in already having made $42 million overseas and $36 million was enough to land in the top slot, Alien grossed less during its first weekend in the U.S. than Prometheus did in 2012 ($51 million). Its final domestic earnings also came in below earlier projections, which pegged the horror flick at at least $40 million.

Fox’s president of domestic distribution Chris Aronson chalked the lower totals compared with Prometheus to the “normal course of business.” He added that Alien: Covenant gives fans of the franchise since the 1979 original the chance to share with the younger generation (60% of the opening weekend audience was in the 18-34 demo). “Teenagers likely haven’t seen Alien,” he said, “This movie creates a generational bond.”

While the Alien franchise is still able to generate decent interest, the same cannot be said for Fox’s other release this weekend, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul. The fourth live-action movie based on Jeff Kinney’s middle school-centric book series opened to $7.2 million from 3,157 locations. David Bowers, who directed movies two and three, returned to the helm nearly five years after the last iteration, and anointed a new titular wimp in Jason Drucker.

The only other major release of the weekend was Everything, Everything, from Warner Bros. and MGM. The sick-lit adaptation will earn $12 million by the end of the weekend from 2,801 locations. That’s enough to land in the top three. Hunger Games standout Amandla Stenberg stars as a girl with an autoimmune disease that keeps her locked up indoors. Nick Robinson plays her love interest named Olly. Everything, Everything earned the highest CinemaScore of the new released (an A- overall). 82% of its audience was female, and 74% were under 25 years old.

“Along with our partners, MGM, we’re thrilled that we hit our key demo,” commented Jeff Goldstein, domestic distribution chief at Warner Bros.

Amy Schumer’s Snatched, also from Fox, will see an additional $7.6 million in earnings from 3,511 theaters, putting it in the fourth slot, ahead of Wimpy Kid. Also in its second weekend, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword continues to flop miserably with a weekend total of less than $7 million.

With Memorial Day weekend on the horizon, the overall domestic summer box office is ten percentage points lower than it was at this time last year. That means all eyes are fixed on a duo of splashy summer releases—Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales and Paramount’s Baywatch—to hopefully make up some ground.

“The dominance at this point by Disney (DIS) and Marvel’s early summer entry Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is impressive having earned more than all the other films combined,” said Paul Degarabedian, senior media analyst at ComScore, who noted that Captain America: Civil War accounted for more than half of the summer take at this point last year. “However, a slow start does not portend a slow overall summer as many have predicted,” he added, “though if the ebb and flow of this season’s fortunes thus far is any indication we may have to buckle up for a pretty bumpy ride.”

About the Author
By Reuters
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Artist who painted life-sized swimming whale mural in Dallas sues FIFA for allegedly illegally painting over his work
LawFifa
Artist who painted life-sized swimming whale mural in Dallas sues FIFA for allegedly illegally painting over his work
By Russ Bynum and The Associated PressJune 3, 2026
4 hours ago
Soldier Field in Chicago during 1994 FIFA World Cup opening ceremonies
EconomyWorld Cup
Some of the biggest U.S. sporting towns decided not to host any World Cup games, fearing a ‘major financial burden to our cities’
By Tristan BoveJune 3, 2026
6 hours ago
bangladesh
AsiaBangladesh
He’s got golden hair, weighs 1,500 pounds, and he’s a rare albino buffalo. Bangladesh is calling him ‘Donald Trump’
By Al Emrun Garjon, Julhas Alam and The Associated PressJune 3, 2026
7 hours ago
fifa
LawWorld Cup
An artist painted a mural of life-sized whales in Dallas — then FIFA painted over it for the World Cup
By Russ Bynum and The Associated PressJune 3, 2026
7 hours ago
Mike Bloomberg matches $25 million fundraising effort to educate youths about 9/11 ahead of the 25th anniversary
North AmericaNew York
Mike Bloomberg matches $25 million fundraising effort to educate youths about 9/11 ahead of the 25th anniversary
By James Pollard and The Associated PressJune 3, 2026
8 hours ago
pell
Arts & EntertainmentMedia
Scott Pelley said Bari Weiss was ‘murdering’ 60 Minutes. He got fired a day later
By Hannah Schoenbaum and The Associated PressJune 3, 2026
9 hours ago

Most Popular

Social Security unraveling: 7,100 workers sacked, performance metrics retired, disability claims falling
North America
Social Security unraveling: 7,100 workers sacked, performance metrics retired, disability claims falling
By Katie Savin, Callie Freitag, Matthew Borus and The ConversationJune 2, 2026
1 day ago
Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent
Environment
Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 1, 2026
2 days ago
'Where we are today is frightening': a Pulitzer-winning historian sees a doomsday scenario involving China and the national debt
Banking
'Where we are today is frightening': a Pulitzer-winning historian sees a doomsday scenario involving China and the national debt
By Nick LichtenbergJune 2, 2026
2 days ago
Cognizant CEO says AI is remaking middle managers into player-coaches who can 'both  execute and develop others'
Newsletters
Cognizant CEO says AI is remaking middle managers into player-coaches who can 'both execute and develop others'
By Diane BradyJune 2, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 2, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 2, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 2, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of gold as of June 2, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of June 2, 2026
By Danny BakstJune 2, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.