This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Josh Brolin in a scene from “Weapons.” (Quantrell Colbert/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)
LOS ANGELES – “Weapons” opened with $42.5 million to lead all films in North America, according to industry estimates released Sunday.
The horror film from New Line Cinema stars Josh Brolin and Julia Garner and was directed by actor/director Zach Cregger. It concerns a group of 17 children from the same classroom who disappear at the same time.
This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Cary Christopher in a scene from “Weapons.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)
On the lighter side, the comedy sequel “Freakier Friday” opened in second place with a strong $29 million, Comscore reported. It stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, who reprise their roles from 2003’s “Freaky Friday,” which was a remake of a 1976 film starring Barbara Harris and Jodie Foster.
You may like: Lindsay Lohan, Jamie Lee Curtis return for chaotic sequel ‘Freakier Friday’
“Fantastic Four: First Steps” grossed $15.5 million Friday through Sunday in its third weekend in theaters.
“The Bad Guys 2” was fourth with $10.4 million in its second week, followed by “The Naked Gun,” which grossed $8.3 million, also in its second week.
You may like ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ – The villains steal the show
Rounding out the top 10 domestic releases were “Superman” ($7.8 million), “Jurassic World Rebirth” ($4.7 million), “F1 The Movie” ($2.8 million), “Together” ($2.6 million) and “Sketch” ($2.5 million).
In a month that’s long been known to let edgier movies thrive, the highly anticipated horror film “Weapons” did not disappoint, topping the box office during its debut weekend with $42.5 million domestically from 3,202 theaters. It made $70 million internationally.
You may like What to stream this week: ‘Wednesday’ Season 2, ‘King of the Hill’ and more
The film’s success also handed its distributor, Warner Bros. Pictures, the seventh No. 1 opening of the year, and became the studio’s sixth film in a row to debut with over $40 million domestically.
“Freakier Friday,” Disney’s chaotic sequel to the 2003 classic, “Freaky Friday,” took the second spot during its premiere weekend, earning $29 million in 3,975 North American theaters.
“The top two films could not be more different, and that’s what makes this weekend so appealing for moviegoers,” Dergarabedian said. “Both are perfectly tailored for their audiences to react in real time over the weekend to these films and then post on social media.”
“Weapons” generated a lot of buzz for its strong reviews (95% on Rotten Tomatoes).
“The Internet’s exploding right now between Friday and today. You just see that people are having a great time with it,” said Jeffrey Goldstein, president of Global Distribution for Warner Bros. “It starts with an exceptional movie, an exceptional marketing campaign, and the date was exceptional too.” (With CNS and AP reports)
The post ‘Weapons’ horror film, ‘Freakier Friday’ lead box office appeared first on USNewsRank.