Film ranks at #1 on opening day

The Box Office Mojo website is listing that Alita: Battle Angel , James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez 's live-action film of Yukito Kishiro 's Battle Angel Alita ( GUNNM ) manga, earned US$8,716,232 on its opening day in the United States on Thursday. The film screened in 3,790 theaters for a per-screen average of US$2,300. The film ranked #1 in the U.S. on Thursday.

The movie has already earned US$32 million in 11 territories in Asia and the United Kingdom, where it opened a week before the U.S. debut.

While recent forecasts were tracking the film to earn US$25 million in its first five days, forecasts now predict the film to earn around US$37 million in that same tie period. The movie has a reported production budget between US$150 million and US$200 million.

The film will open in China and Japan on February 22. In addition, the movie will get 4DX screenings in Japan.

The film's U.S. release was delayed twice previously from July 20, 2018 and December 21, 2018. The movie stars Rosa Salazar ( Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, The Divergent Series: Insurgent, Man Seeking Woman ) in motion capture as Alita.

Robert Rodriguez ( El Mariachi, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Sin City, Spy Kids ) directed the film. James Cameron and his Lightstorm Entertainment partner Jon Landau produced the project, and Shutter Island's Laeta Kalogridis penned a script. Singer-songwriter Dua Lipa performed a new song titled "Swan Song" for the film.

Sources: Variety (Dave McNary), Box Office Mojo