Box Office report: 'Alien: Romulus' dominates; ‘Footage’, ‘Thaanara’ see slow start
This week’s box office welcomed the release of four much-anticipated films: 'Alien: Romulus', 'Palum Pazhavum', 'Thaanara', and 'Footage'. These films, spanning a diverse range of genres, have drawn significant attention from audiences nationwide. As they make their debut, we take a closer look at their opening weekend performances and assess how they stack up against the current box office leaders.
According to Sacnilk, 'Alien: Romulus', released on August 23 and directed by Fede Álvarez, has lived up to its hype as a horror-science fiction film. It collected Rs 40 lakh on the first day, with its India net collection over the weekend standing at Rs 3.47 crore, while the worldwide total reached an impressive Rs 1085 crore.
Set between the events of 'Alien' (1979) and 'Aliens' (1986), it is the ninth film in the Alien franchise, produced by Scott Free Productions and Brandywine Productions. The movie stars Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Spike Fearn, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, and Aileen Wu. It centers on a group of young, downtrodden space colonists searching for a better life, who encounter aggressive aliens while exploring an abandoned space station.
Directed by VK Prakash, 'Palum Pazhavum' was released on August 23. It opened with modest numbers, garnering just Rs 1 lakh on its first day in India. By the weekend, the film’s worldwide collection crossed Rs 35 lakh, with Rs 9 lakh collected on the second day and Rs 13 lakh on the third day in India.
The movie tells the story of a 33-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man who meet online and begin an unconventional romantic relationship, navigating the challenges of their age difference. The film stars Aswin Jose and Meera Jasmine.
'Thaanara', released on August 23 and directed by VK Prakash, had a slow start at the box office, earning Rs 24 lakh worldwide, with Rs 21 lakh from India. The day one and day two collections were Rs 4 lakh and Rs 6 lakh, respectively, while day three saw a rise to Rs 11 lakh.
The film features Deepti Sati, Chinnu Chandni Nair, Shine Tom Chacko, Aju Varghese, and Vishnu Unnikrishnan in lead roles. 'Thaanara' tells the story of Anjali, the daughter of a former home minister, who is unhappy in her marriage to opposition MLA Adarsh. She grows suspicious of her husband and, with the help of James, secretly monitors his activities.
Directed by Saiju Sreedharan, 'Footage', also released on August 23, opened with Rs 6 lakh on its first day in India. The film’s worldwide collection over the weekend crossed Rs 25 lakh, with Rs 9 lakh collected on the second day and Rs 7 lakh on the third day in India.
The narrative is set around 2020–2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Presented as fragments of criminal evidence, the entire story unfolds through a couple’s camera footage. The film stars Manju Warrier, Vishak Nair, and Gayathri Ashok in lead roles.