As a long-time fan of the Alien franchise, I can say that the announcement of Alien: Romulus being released in theaters instead of just streaming was like music to my ears! For years, I’ve been attending movie premieres at the local multiplex, and there’s just something about the big screen experience that you can’t replicate on a small screen.
Fede Álvarez, director of “Alien: Romulus”, discusses the journey of his film from an initial plan for streaming release on Hulu to becoming a summer blockbuster at cinemas instead. “Alien: Romulus” is the latest addition to the renowned “Alien” series, set between the events of 1979’s “Alien” and 1986’s “Aliens”. Despite initially being destined for streaming, it has garnered significant attention from both fans and critics alike.
Discussing his project, director Fede Álvarez revealed that at one point, “Alien: Romulus” was meant for streaming on Hulu. He joined as director in 2021 when cinemas were gradually reopening. However, by the time “Alien: Romulus” was publicly announced in 2022, it appeared only big-budget films destined for box office success would secure a theatrical release, while mid-range productions like this one would end up on Disney+ or Hulu. Later, 20th Century Fox decided to go with a theatrical release instead, a move that significantly affected the crew, as Álvarez stated.
“The decision wasn’t made when the theaters were thriving; instead, it was clear from the beginning that the film would be a challenging fit for a streaming platform. I recall announcing to everyone that this movie would be released in theaters, and there was an enthusiastic response. Even the head electrician seemed excited about it hitting the big screen!”
Is Alien: Romulus’ Theatrical Release Thanks to Prey?
In March 2022, it was initially revealed that Fede Álvarez would be directing the unnamed fifth Alien film. Despite the success of Spider-Man: No Way Home towards the end of 2021, there were still doubts about the movie theater market. At that time, Disney’s CEO Bob Chapek heavily emphasized streaming releases on Disney+ and Hulu, leading to the Predator prequel Prey being directly sent to Hulu, which later displeased fans.
In November 2022, Bob Chapek was replaced as head of Disney, with Bob Iger resuming his previous position. Iger appeared to prioritize cinema distribution, and in June 2023, the movie titled Alien: Romulus was moved forward for a theater release.
It’s plausible to think that the success of the film “Prey” could have influenced the cinematic release of “Alien: Romulus.” Once “Prey” was released on streaming platforms, many fans wondered why they couldn’t see it in theaters. Given the disappointment of “The Predator” in 2018, “Prey” delivered what many consider the best film in the “Predator” franchise. With its lower budget and positive reviews, it might have become a box office success. Interestingly, “Alien: Romulus” was announced as a Hulu Original five months before “Prey” came out. However, after “Prey” proved to be a hit, it seems that Disney and 20th Century Studios regained confidence in their R-rated sci-fi horror properties.
studios have found that premiering movies on streaming platforms can boost subscriber counts, but giving up potential box office earnings can be difficult. Over the past few years, several films initially intended for streaming have instead been given a theatrical release. For instance, “Smile” and “Mean Girls” were initially planned as Paramount+ exclusives, but ended up having successful theatrical runs. Similarly, Warner Bros.’ “Evil Dead Rise,” which was originally slated to be a Max Original, was later decided to be released in theaters, where it became the highest-grossing film in the “Evil Dead” franchise. These unexpected theater earnings were not accounted for when these movies were greenlit as streaming exclusives. At this point, it appears that releasing “Alien: Romulus” in theaters is proving to be a profitable decision. The movie grossed an impressive $6.5 million during Thursday previews, indicating strong audience interest in witnessing the latest Xenomorph attack on the big screen.
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2024-08-17 01:32