Will Alien: Covenant return to theaters and herald a grand return for the Alien franchise? That’s the big question that film fans will have answered this weekend. In 2012, we saw an Alien prequel in the form of Prometheus, but it didn’t bear the Alien name, nor did it garner great enthusiasm for the mythology it brought to the table. All in all, it seemed to leave a bad taste in fans’ mouths, and in years following, not many seemed to remember it fondly.

Alien: Covenant looks to be a return to form, and a more direct return to the world in which our favorite parasite wreaked havoc. But is it too little, too late? Do fans still have the same enthusiasm  five years after Prometheus? 

The film seems off to a solid start. According to Box Office Mojo, it took in $4.2 million in its Thursday night opening, and is on track to take in $45.4 million. Admittedly, this seems a bit low considering Prometheus took in $51 million in its opening weekend, and with the name Alien slapped in front of this weekend’s opener, you’d assume it’d result in a bigger cume.

However, there are a couple things to take away from this. First is the fact that times have changed, and we’ve already had more than a handful of blockbusters hit theaters. As such, folks aren’t as hungry for big movies as this. Second is that Alien: Covenant was made for less than $100 million, which is $30 million less than Prometheus. So it doesn’t HAVE to make nearly as much in order to be successful.

So is $45 million opening a huge hit? Not really. And it certainly falls short of our Weekend Warrior’s predictions, which has it pegged at around $55.5 million. But the weekend is still early. There’s plenty of time for the film to make a surprising amount of dough, especially since so many folks have already seen Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Some audience members may be hungry for the next big VFX-driven flick, even if it is more of a horror piece.

What do you think? How much will Alien: Covenant make in its opening weekend? Let us know your thoughts down below!

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SOURCE: Box Office Mojo