What is the highest-grossing film in the Alien franchise?

Alien is still going strong. The franchise that launched in 1979 is getting its seventh installment, and ninth overall if you count crossover films. Not bad for a premise that started out as a student project for Dan O'Bannon.

Alien is one of the most varied franchises of all time, in the sense that the genre and themes of each film change depending on who's making it. Every film in the series has been a financial success, even if the critical reception hasn't been stellar. That being said, only one of them can lay claim to being the most successful Alien release.

Aliens is one of the lowest grossing films in the series

The aforementioned reception to each Alien film makes their box office receipts a bit surprising. Aliens (1986), for example, is cited as the "blockbuster" of the franchise, with an emphasis on action and combat. It was directed by James Cameron, who has three of the biggest movies of all time under his belt.

And yet, Aliens grossed less than its predecessor, Alien (1979), and its successor, Alien 3 (1992). Alien 3 is about as polarizing as sequels get, and yet, it managed to pull in a cool $159 million at the global box office.

Alien: Resurrection (1997) is also maligned by fans and critics. Despite this, Resurrection grossed $161 million, making it the fourth-highest-grossing film in the series. Go figure. Fascinatingly, though, the highest-grossing Alien film is the only one in which Alien isn't in the title: Prometheus (2012).

Prometheus grossed $430 million worldwide

Ridley Scott's anticipated prequel had its detractors, but it proved to be a massive hit, raking in an impressive $430 million on a $120 million budget. Prometheus holds the distinction of being the only Alien film to cross the $400 million mark. It's also the only one to cross the $300 million mark.

The only film that comes close is Scott's direct sequel, Alien: Covenant. The film, released five years after Prometheus, managed to gross $240 million. Due to its $100 million budget and marketing cost, though, Covenant was deemed a box office disappointment.

Alien: Romulus is predicted to gross $40-$50 million its opening weekend, which means it has a good chance of toppling Covenant and getting the franchise back on track.