VICTORY

‘Alien: Covenant’ Tops Weekend Box Office

But falls short of analyst expectations.

Director Ridley Scott’s Alien: Covenant beat Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 to claim the top spot at the box office this weekend, though it still fell below analyst expectations. In its opening weekend, the sixth installment in the Alien franchise brought in $36 million domestically, short of the $40 million projected before its debut. But the sci-fi thriller still managed to edge out Guardians, which earned slightly over $35 million in its third weekend in theaters. Alien, directed by Ridley Scott, stars Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, and Danny McBride. Chris Aronson, Fox’s head of domestic distribution, wasn’t fazed by the lower-than-expected earnings, attributing it to “the normal course of business” in comments to Variety. He said the film gives newer generations the chance get into the original 1979 Alien franchise. “Teenagers likely haven’t seen ‘Alien,’” he said. “This movie creates a generational bond.”