Alien: Romulus currently beats Alien³ 56–44
Romulus validates the franchise comeback over Fincher's troubled debut.
The Verdict Decades Apart
The gravity-failure sequence in Romulus — acid blood floating in zero-g, the survivors navigating around suspended droplets that can burn through the hull — is Álvarez demonstrating that there are still original set pieces left in this franchise if the director is clever enough to find them. Alien³ has ambition in abundance but execution problems that decades of critical reappraisal can't fully excuse. The assembly cut helps. It doesn't fix the creature effects or the pacing of the second act. At 56 to 44, voters pick the film that works over the film that matters, which is what franchise voting tends to reward.
The Numbers
| Alien³ | Alien: Romulus | |
|---|---|---|
| Head-to-Head | 44% | 56% |
| Overall Win Rate | 38% | 43% |
| Championships | 3 | 5 |
| Avg Decision | 1.7s | 2.0s |
| Budget | $50M | $80M |
| Return | 3.2x | 4.4x |
Where This Matchup Sits
Alien³ is in the bottom quarter of Science Fiction among 51 on BingeBracket.
Against other opponents, one pattern stands out: Aliens beats both of them. It's the one film that sits above this entire matchup.
Alien³ (1992) and Alien: Romulus (2024) are 32 years apart, which makes raw box office comparisons misleading. Relative to their budgets, both returned a similar multiple — but Alien: Romulus wins the head-to-head.
The decision time splits by film: 1.3s to vote for Alien³, 2.5s to vote for Alien: Romulus. People don't reach for both films the same way.
Think Alien³ deserves better?
You're in the 44%.
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