‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ jolts box office with $83 million opening

LOS ANGELES – “The Conjuring: Last Rites” opened with $83 million this weekend to lead all films, in the third-biggest opening for a horror film in North American history, according to industry estimates Sunday.

The ninth installment in a franchise that also includes the “Annabelle and “The Nun” films, New Line’s release stars series regulars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga and was directed by Michael Chaves.

A re-release of a 2021 filmed version of the smash-hit musical “Hamilton” was in second place with $10 million, Comscore reported.

“Weapons” was third with $5.3 million Friday through Sunday in its fifth weekend in theaters.

“Freakier Friday” was fourth with $3.8 million in its fifth weekend, followed by “Caught Stealing” with $3.2 million in its second week.

Rounding out the top 10 domestic releases were “The Roses” ($2.8 million), “Fantastic Four: First Steps” ($2.75 million), “The Bad Guys 2” ($2.45 million), “Light of the World” ($2.4 million) and “Superman” ($1 million).

This weekend’s overall three-day box office haul was estimated at $124 million. The year-to date total is $6.138 billion — up 3.9% from the figure at this time last year, according to Comscore.

“The Conjuring: Last Rites” raked in $83 million domestically in 3,802 theaters, making it the third-highest domestic opening for a horror movie, behind “It” and “It: Chapter Two.”

Its opening weekend tipped the genre over $1 billion in earnings for this year’s domestic box office.

It’s now the largest horror opening internationally, with $104 million in earnings outside of North American theaters.

The film also broke records for the “Conjuring” universe, securing the biggest opening weekend in the franchise.

The movie’s performance is a testament to the franchise’s success in producing classic horror movies since the first film released in 2013, said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for the data firm Comscore.

“Audiences know when they go in to see ‘The Conjuring,’ the minute this scary, ominous music comes up with the Warner’s logo, you know you’re in for a wild ride,” Dergarabedian said.

The film has received mixed reviews from critics, carrying a 55% on Rotten Tomatoes and a “B” CinemaScore.

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga return to the big screen in the ninth installment of “The Conjuring” as the paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren who attempt to vanquish a demon from a family’s home. (With reports from CNS and AP)

The post ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ jolts box office with $83 million opening appeared first on USNewsRank.