Alien Franchise Ranked From Best To Worst(Photo Credit –YouTube)
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The iconic Alien franchise is back with its latest instalment to establish its reign of terror in theatres this summer. If we’re going by the initial buzz, Alien Romulus, the ninth film in the franchise, will be off to a successful start at the box office.
Since debuting in 1979, The Alien franchise has churned out nine films in four decades that have spawned a loyal fanbase. While the box office numbers have varied with each film, some proving to be grave disappointments, fans passion for the franchise has kept the lights on for over forty years. While some of the titles have failed to live up to the original films’ legacy, others have managed to come close to eliciting the thrill of the original films. This is evident in the rankings.
Per Rotten Tomatoes, the latest instalment, Alien Romulus, is the third highest-rated film in the franchise, ranking behind James Cameron’s 1986 Alien and Ridley Scott’s 1979 masterpiece that spawned the iconic franchise.
Alien Romulus is also tracking to earn more than its predecessor, Alien Covenant, at the box office this summer. The 2017 film directed by Ridley Scott also trails behind Fede Alvarez’s directed film in critics’ scores. Ridley Scott, who directed the first Alien film in 1979, also served as a producer in the ninth instalment, which is the best-reviewed Alien movie since the 1986 James Cameron film. Based on the Rotten Tomatoes score, we have ranked all nine Alien films from best to worst.
1. Aliens (1986) – 94%
The second film in the franchise is the highest-rated Alien film. Directed by James Cameron and starring Sigourney Weaver, it earned $183.2 million worldwide.
2. Aliens (1979) – 93%
The first film, directed by Ridley Scott, landed the second spot but raked in slightly higher than Cameron’s film at the worldwide box office after grossing $186.9 million.
3.Alien Romulus (2024) – 82%
The latest offering in the iconic franchise came in third with a storg 82% debut. The film is also tracking to earn $75 million during its debut weekend.
4.Prometheus (2012) – 73%
The seventh instalment in the franchise, directed by Ridley Scott, failed to impress the critics as much as his first film but earned a fresh rating. Despite coming in fourth in critics score, the film is the highest-grossing title in the entire franchise, earning over $400 million worldwide.
5. Alien Covenant (2017) – 64%
The second-highest-grossing title earned $238 million worldwide. However, the Ridley Scott-directed film received mixed reactions, scoring 64% on Rotten Tomatoes.
6. Alien Resurrection (1997) – 55%
Following Cameron’s 1986 film’s success, the franchise went on a downward spiral for at least two decades before 2012’s Prometheus saved the Aliens from extinction. The poor reception of subsequent sequels proved the franchise only stood a chance with Ridley Scott or James Cameron at the helm. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the 1997 film also tanked at the box office, earning $160 million worldwide.
7. Alien 3 (1992) – 44%
The franchise’s third film failed to echo its predecessors’ success. Directed by David Fincher, this film did not just bomb with critics but also bombed at the box office, raking in $158 million.
8. Alien Vs Predator (2004) – 22%
Paul W.S. Anderson’s sequel continued the franchise’s losing streak. The fifth film was also a flop worldwide, earning $172 million.
9. Aliens VS Predator: Requiem (2007) – 12%
Before Ridley Scott revived the franchise with 2012’s Prometheus, Colin Strause, Greg Strause’s directed film took the iconic franchise to a new low as the worst-reviewed film. The film was also the lowest-grossing movie in the franchise, accumulating $128 million worldwide.
