AceShowbiz - "Deadpool & Wolverine" has relinquished its reign at the box office to the seventh installment in the "Alien" franchise, "Alien: Romulus". The sci-fi/horror-thriller grossed $41.5 million domestically in its opening weekend, pushing "Deadpool & Wolverine" to second place with $29 million. Despite the drop, "Deadpool & Wolverine" remains a box office force, surpassing "Joker" to become the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time with $1.1 billion worldwide.

"Alien: Romulus", set between the events of "Alien" and "Aliens", follows a group of space colonizers who encounter a terrifying creature. The film has received critical acclaim and has earned $108.2 million worldwide in its opening weekend. Director Fede Alvarez praised the support he received from Ridley Scott, the director of the original "Alien" film.

Blake Lively's "It Ends with Us" has slipped to third place, earning $24 million in its second week of release. Despite behind-the-scenes drama surrounding its production, the film has grossed $180 million worldwide.

"Twisters" continues to perform well, landing in fourth place with $9.8 million in its fifth week of release. The storm-chasing adventure has earned $333.4 million worldwide.

A re-release of the 2009 stop-motion animated film "Coraline" has entered the top five, earning $8.6 million in its 15th anniversary celebration. Other films in the top ten include "Despicable Me 4" ($6 million), "Trap" ($3.43 million), "Inside Out 2" ($3.2 million), "Borderlands" ($2.35 million), and "Stree 2" ($2.18 million).

Top 10 of North American Box Office (Aug. 16-18, 2024):

1. "Alien: Romulus" - $41.5 million
2. "Deadpool & Wolverine" - $29 million
3. "It Ends With Us" - $24 million
4. "Twisters" - $9.8 million
5. "Coraline" 15th Anniversary - $8.4 million
6. "Despicable Me 4" - $6 million
7. "Trap" - $3.4 million
8. "Inside Out 2" - $3.2 million
9. "Stree 2" - $2.6 million
10. "Borderlands" - $2.4 million