Like many horrors earlier than it, dangerous critiques didn’t scare off moviegoers from shopping for tickets for “ The Nun II.” The sequel to the 2018 hit, launched in 3,728 theaters by Warner Bros., topped the field workplace in its first weekend in North American theaters incomes an estimated $32.6 million, the studio stated Sunday.
AP’s Mark Kennedy wrote in his one star assessment that it is “a film that appears destined to pound a nail into this franchise’s undead coffin” and audiences gave it a C+ CinemaScore. However it hardly issues: Horror is maybe probably the most reliably critic-proof style, at the very least relating to opening weekend.
The Michael Graves-directed sequel starring Taissa Farmiga and Storm Reid fell far in need of the debut for the primary movie ($53.8 million), but it surely’s nonetheless a stable launch. “The Nun” films are a part of the so-called Conjuring universe, which now has 9 movies, and $2.1 billion in field workplace, to its title. The sequel additionally performed effectively internationally, choosing up $52.7 million from 69 markets (Mexico being the strongest with $8.9 million) and boosting its international debut to $85.3 million.
“To have a horror universe is actually highly effective by way of the income producing potential,” stated Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “It’s a terrific wager that Warners made on the horror moviegoing expertise by no means waning.”
And there are lots of extra scary films on the calendar by the autumn together with “A Loss of life in Venice,” which opens subsequent week, “Noticed X” on Sept. 29 and “The Exorcist: Believer” on Oct. 6.
“The Nun II” bumped Denzel Washington’s “ Equalizer 3 ” to second place in its second weekend. The Columbia Footage launch added $12.1 million, bringing its home grosses to $61.9 million and its worldwide earnings to $107.7 million.
Third place went to a different new film: The third installment of Nia Vardalos’s “My Large Fats Greek Wedding ceremony,” which arrives 21 years after the primary movie grew to become an enormous sleeper hit incomes some $369 million towards a $5 million manufacturing funds. Launched by Focus Options in 3,650 theaters, the third movie earned an estimated $10 million, overwhelmingly pushed by feminine audiences (71%) who had been 25 or older (83%).
Vardalos wrote, directed and stars in “Greek Wedding ceremony 3,” which brings again John Corbett and takes the gang to Greece. AP’s Jocelyn Noveck wrote in her assessment that the film, which has gotten largely poor marks, is “like a thrice-warmed piece of baklava.”
The Indian revenge thriller, “Jawan,” starring Shah Rukh Khan, opened in fourth place with $6.2 million from solely 813 areas. It was launched in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. Khan, a Bollywood celebrity, additionally led one other field workplace sensation this yr, “Pathaan,” which has made $130 million worldwide.
“Barbie,” which involves VOD on Tuesday, dropped to No. 5 after 8 triumphant weeks with $5.9 million from 3,281 areas. The Warner Bros. movie has now made $620.5 million domestically.
Estimated ticket gross sales for Friday by Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, in keeping with Comscore. Closing home figures shall be launched Monday.
1. “The Nun II,” $32.6 million.
2. “The Equalizer 3,” $12.1 million.
3. “My Large Fats Greek Wedding ceremony 3,” $10 million.
4. “Jawan,” $6.2 million.
5. “Barbie,” $5.9 million.
6. “Blue Beetle,” $3.8 million.
7. “Gran Turismo: Primarily based on a True Story,” $3.4 million.
8. “Oppenheimer,” $3 million.
9. “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,” $2.6 million.
10. “Bottoms,” $2.1 million.