UFO movie box-office update, plus 'Space Invaders'

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

The public's fascination with the idea of alien visitation continues to be evidenced this week as three alien/UFO movies occupy top-ten positions at the worldwide box-office.

Currently topping the charts, Transformers: Dark of the Moon has now taken a massive $557.3m. Meanwhile at #7, the Spielberg-produced Super 8 has pulled in $166.4m; and, at #9, the alien-themed comic book movie Green Lantern has managed a slightly less impressive haul of $143.0m. Naturally, these figures will continue to rise in the coming days and weeks. Indeed, due to staggered release schedules, Super 8 has yet to hit cinemas in at least 14 countries (including the UK, France, Spain, Mexico and Brazil), and Green Lantern has yet to arrive in at least 24 countries (including Italy, Germany and Japan).

In just a few weeks time, the box-office is set to be stormed by yet another UFO movie - Cowboys and Aliens.

In other news, Transformers producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura is to oversee the Hollywood adaptation of the 1970s video game, Space Invaders, which required the player simply to use their tanks to defend against an advancing alien hoard. This sounds almost as imaginative as the forthcoming board game adaptation, Battleship.

Alien movie topples alien movie

The UFO movie Super 8 was toppled from the U.S. box-office top-spot this weekend by alien-themed comic book movie Green Lantern, which brought in $52.6 million in its first three days.

In normal circumstances this would be an impressive weekend box-office haul. In light of the movie's combined production and advertising budget, however - a staggering $250-300 million - Green Lantern has quite a way to go yet before making a profit. Negative reviews from critics surely aren't helping.

'Green Lantern', 'Ben 10' and Cameron's 'Myth'

James Cameron (Aliens, The Abyss) is to re-team with his Avatar star Sam Worthington for Myth - a mega movie about which nothing is known other than "it’s big, it’s sci-fi, and it’s got lots of action." The movie is likely to be produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Transformers), while Cameron will assume the role of executive producer (he won't be directing, though).

In other news, producer Joel Silver (The Matrix), is to oversee a big screen adaptation of the kids' TV series Ben 10, which follows the adventures of Ben Tennyson, a boy who comes into possession of an other-worldly artefact that allows him to transform into ten different superpowered aliens.        

Last, but not least, alien-themed comic book movie Green Lantern (left) has failed to wow critics, though it may yet fare better with audiences in the coming days and weeks.