Box Office: 'Prometheus' Posts Strong $1.5 Million Opening Day in France

Prometheus, Ridley Scott’s return to Alien territory, doesn’t arrive in the U.S. until June 8, but it already has begun to open abroad to promising results.

our editor recommends

Prometheus: Film Review

'Prometheus' Continues to Build Imax U.K. Pre-Sales Record

The R-rated, 3D sci-fi film opened Wednesday in France to a one-day total of $1.5 million -- the second-highest opening day of 2012, behind only The Avengers, which bowed to $2.9 million.

EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: Never-Seen Photos From 'Prometheus'

Prometheus ranked higher than the French openings of Men in Black 3 by 20 percent, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows by 45 percent and The Hunger Games by 87 percent.

Presales in other European countries also appear strong. In the U.K., where the movie opens Friday, it has rung up about $1.6 million, including about $810,000 at London’s Imax Southbank theater, the largest presale ever at that location.

In Sweden, presales for Prometheus were running five times ahead of those for MIB3, and presales in Denmark were double those for MIB3.