The fanboys came out in droves Thursday night as "Prometheus" racked up a bloody good $3.56 million in midnight screenings.
Ridley Scott's return to the world of the 1979 classic "Alien" showed in 1,368 locations. It will expand to 3,394 venues and face off against "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted."
Thanks to an online promotional campaign that teased "Prometheus'" deep-space carnage without revealing too many of its secrets, the film more than doubled the late-night takes of recent tentpole fare like "Snow White and the Huntsman" and "Men in Black 3."
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While most box office prognosticators estimate that "Prometheus" will gross $50 million in its opening weekend, Fox has been conservative in its projections, saying it anticipates making $30 million. However, the impressive late-night grosses should ensure that it far exceeds Fox's estimates.
"Prometheus" is set in the 21st century and chronicles a spaceship crew's ill-fated mission to follow a star map discovered among the remnants of several ancient Earth civilizations in a quest to discover the origins of humanity. Spoiler alert: There will be blood.
Scott produced and directed from a script co-written by Damon Lindelof and Jon Spaihts. Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba and Guy Pearce star. Lindelof and Tony Scott are also producers.
The studio puts the production budget at $130 million.