LOS ANGELES — Meh. The eighth chapter in 20th Century Fox’s “Alien” series arrived to an estimated $36 million in ticket sales in North America — far from a flop, far from a sizzling hit. “Alien: Covenant,” as the latest film is titled, cost roughly $100 million to make, and has taken in an additional $30.3 million overseas.

Unless strong word-of-mouth propels “Alien: Covenant” to big ticket sales in the weeks to come, the film may become the latest example of audience pushback on long-in-the-tooth film franchises.

The domestic opening total was the third highest for the “Alien” series, which first thrilled moviegoers in 1979 with its surrealist central creature and sense of escalating dread. “Prometheus,” a 2012 prequel, arrived to $55.1 million, after adjusting for inflation. “Alien vs. Predator” had $50.6 million in 2004.

The R-rated “Alien: Covenant,” directed by Ridley Scott, who also directed the first “Alien” and “Prometheus,” received mostly positive reviews. Ticket buyers gave it a B grade in CinemaScore exit polls.