Why is 'Alien: Romulus' a rare Hollywood hit in China?

So, the success of Disney and 20th Century's "Alien: Romulus," the bloody sci-fi thriller that earned an R-rating, is a welcome surprise. The latest chapter in the long-running horror saga is a rare bright spot among U.S. imports, grossing $82 million and counting in mainland China. It is expected to gross $114 million (RMB819) at the end of its theatrical run, according to a forecast from Chinese ticketing agency Maoyan.

So far, the only other 2024 U.S. title, Warner Bros. "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" managed to break box office charts in China with $134 million. And as in the case of Hollywood's triumph, the money comes with an asterisk as the monster mashup was produced by Chinese-owned Legendary Entertainment and distributed by the company's Legendary East local China unit.

Otherwise, Disney's "Deadpool & Wolverine" ($58.6 million), Universal's "Despicable Me 4" ($54.9 million), Universal's "Kung Fu Panda 4" ($51.7 million) and Disney's "Inside Out 2" ($47.1 million) all made modest returns in China, as did the 2007 Asian Games, but far less than five years ago. Disney's "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" ($28.9 million) is basically a wipeout, as is Warner's "Furious: A Mad Max Saga" ($8.3 million) and Apple and Universal's spy thriller "Argyle" ($2 million). The flop hurts.

Box office analysts pointed to several reasons for "Alien: Romulus"'s unexpectedly promising performance, including positive reviews and word-of-mouth publicity - with a strong score on local rating systems Maoyan (8.9 out of 10), Taopiaopiao (1 out of 10) and Douban (7.5 out of 10). There are also no attractive options locally and virtually no horror films. China's summer is full of crime, comedy and feel-good dramas, and nothing was special. And moviegoers can watch "Romulus" in its entirety without censorship. Unlike "Deadpool and Wolverine," whose drug references and sexual innuendos are open to Chinese audiences, the "Alien" movie ran in China without any cuts. There are hardly any R-rated films in the market, as dramatic films can be seen by movie lovers of all ages.

In the case of “Alien: Romulus,” box office analysts were impressed that the film was allowed to play in China. It is only the third film (out of seven) in the “Alien” franchise to be released in China. “Prometheus” grossed a cool $35.2 million in 2012, and “Alien: Covenant” grossed a cool $45 million in 2017. But ticket sales haven’t been this good in an era when Hollywood blockbusters — Pixar’s “Coco” ($189 million), “War for the Planet of the Apes” ($112 million), “Thor: Ragnarok” ($112 million) and the massive “The Fate of the Furious” ($392 million) — routinely crossed the $100 million mark in Chinese theaters.

"It's surprising that an R-rated horror movie came to China, but ironically, that's a big reason for its success," said Stanley Rosen, a professor of political science and international relations at USC. "It's very different from other movies playing in China today."

And although "Romulus" expands on a franchise that began 45 years ago with Ridley Scott's 1979 monster adventure film "Alien," Rosen believes the latest entry benefits from the fact that while viewers are familiar with the xenomorph, you don't have to watch every previous installment to know the latest work. Fede Alvarez directed the film, which centers on young space colonists (Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux and Isabela Merced) who come face-to-face with a terrifying way of life while exploring a dilapidated space station.

"Although 'Romulus' references previous 'Alien' films, you can look at it as a standalone story, unlike 'Star Wars,' where each one builds on the other," Rosen said.

The Chinese government has full control over which films are played in theaters and often avoids films with strong language, gratuitous violence or blasphemy. However, according to Eric Schwartzel, author of "Red Carpet: Hollywood, China and the Global Battle for Cultural Supremacy," censors have softened their efforts in recent months to help the Chinese box office recover. Revenue in China is down more than 21% compared to the same period in 2023. Therefore, the box office may need a strong release calendar.

So, the success of Disney and 20th Century's "Alien: Romulus," the bloody sci-fi thriller that earned an R-rating, is a welcome surprise. The latest chapter in the long-running horror saga is a rare bright spot among U.S. imports, grossing $82 million and counting in mainland China. It is expected to gross $114 million (RMB819) at the end of its theatrical run, according to a forecast from Chinese ticketing agency Maoyan.

So far, the only other 2024 U.S. title, Warner Bros. "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" managed to break box office charts in China with $134 million. And as in the case of Hollywood's triumph, the money comes with an asterisk as the monster mashup was produced by Chinese-owned Legendary Entertainment and distributed by the company's Legendary East local China unit.

Otherwise, Disney's "Deadpool & Wolverine" ($58.6 million), Universal's "Despicable Me 4" ($54.9 million), Universal's "Kung Fu Panda 4" ($51.7 million) and Disney's "Inside Out 2" ($47.1 million) all made modest returns in China, as did the 2007 Asian Games, but far less than five years ago. Disney's "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" ($28.9 million) is basically a wipeout, as is Warner's "Furious: A Mad Max Saga" ($8.3 million) and Apple and Universal's spy thriller "Argyle" ($2 million). The flop hurts.

Box office analysts pointed to several reasons for "Alien: Romulus"'s unexpectedly promising performance, including positive reviews and word-of-mouth publicity - with a strong score on local rating systems Maoyan (8.9 out of 10), Taopiaopiao (1 out of 10) and Douban (7.5 out of 10). There are also no attractive options locally and virtually no horror films. China's summer is full of crime, comedy and feel-good dramas, and nothing was special. And moviegoers can watch "Romulus" in its entirety without censorship. Unlike "Deadpool and Wolverine," whose drug references and sexual innuendos are open to Chinese audiences, the "Alien" movie ran in China without any cuts. There are hardly any R-rated films in the market, as dramatic films can be seen by movie lovers of all ages.

In the case of “Alien: Romulus,” box office analysts were impressed that the film was allowed to play in China. It is only the third film (out of seven) in the “Alien” franchise to be released in China. “Prometheus” grossed a cool $35.2 million in 2012, and “Alien: Covenant” grossed a cool $45 million in 2017. But ticket sales haven’t been this good in an era when Hollywood blockbusters — Pixar’s “Coco” ($189 million), “War for the Planet of the Apes” ($112 million), “Thor: Ragnarok” ($112 million) and the massive “The Fate of the Furious” ($392 million) — routinely crossed the $100 million mark in Chinese theaters.

"It's surprising that an R-rated horror movie came to China, but ironically, that's a big reason for its success," said Stanley Rosen, a professor of political science and international relations at USC. "It's very different from other movies playing in China today."

And although "Romulus" expands on a franchise that began 45 years ago with Ridley Scott's 1979 monster adventure film "Alien," Rosen believes the latest entry benefits from the fact that while viewers are familiar with the xenomorph, you don't have to watch every previous installment to know the latest work. Fede Alvarez directed the film, which centers on young space colonists (Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux and Isabela Merced) who come face-to-face with a terrifying way of life while exploring a dilapidated space station.

"Although 'Romulus' references previous 'Alien' films, you can look at it as a standalone story, unlike 'Star Wars,' where each one builds on the other," Rosen said.

The Chinese government has full control over which films are played in theaters and often avoids films with strong language, gratuitous violence or blasphemy. However, according to Eric Schwartzel, author of "Red Carpet: Hollywood, China and the Global Battle for Cultural Supremacy," censors have softened their efforts in recent months to help the Chinese box office recover. Revenue in China is down more than 21% compared to the same period in 2023. Therefore, the box office may need a strong release calendar.