The one thing about being a horror fan is that we would do just about anything to see our favorite franchises continue forth. This means that, no matter how bad a sequel is, it’s in our DNA to still champion a new film. Being a rabid Alien fan I would do just about anything to see more prequel/sequels, especially now that original director Ridley Scott has embedded himself as the face of the new entries. Well, yay to me, as Scott’s teased Alien: Awakening is more likely than ever.
Twentieth Century Fox is celebrating the early box office success of Alien: Covenant, which opened in theaters late Thursday night. Early reports have the Prometheus sequel opening at an estimated $40 million. While this is a far cry from the huge $70+ million opening of other recent franchises, it’s a modest amount that all but guarantees a lifetime domestic gross of $100 million. What’s important to note is that Covenant‘s budget was just under $100 million, which is a whopping $30 million less than Prometheus. If we were to use that film as a comp, it took in $400 million worldwide on a slew of negative reviews and rejection from fans. With Covenant‘s budget at $100 million, including marketing a $400 million worldwide gross would pit the film to just barely cross into profit territory. With the film already opening strong overseas ($46 million last weekend), and a release slated in the lucrative China as well, Fox should be happily moving forward on the next installment.
Scott has openly boasted his ability to come in under budget and on schedule, which makes the studio confident in taking huge financial risks on the 79-year-old filmmaker. Scott has a minimum of two sequels planned (although he’s teased “up to six” more), with plans to shoot the tentatively titled Alien: Awakening in early 2018 for release in 2019.
