Thunderbolts, a major Marvel entry, scored a respectable $76 million in North America during its opening weekend this past May. So the fourth chapter in a supernatural gothic horror franchise should punch below that... right?
Not always! The Conjuring: Last Rites shocked everyone this weekend, hauling in $83 million at the North American box office, which marks the third-biggest horror opening ever — and a performance well above the film’s pre-release tracking of $50 million to $60 million. “The devil’s always a draw,” says Sean McNulty, who also credits Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema’s success with the Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga thriller to a surprisingly young, female and Latino audience base.
Richard Rushfield, on the other hand, has a darker theory: “Is there any possibility that Warners is actually conjuring supernatural forces?” Mike & Pam are on an all-time hot streak, securing their seventh straight over-$40 million opening weekend — not to mention New Line’s third in a row to crack that mark after Final Destination: Bloodlines and Weapons. “This is a streak to rival Disney in 2019,” Richard says. (That record-breaking year for Disney included seven movies that grossed more than $1 billion worldwide.)
Elsewhere in today’s Monday Morning QBs: Hamilton’s $10 million bow —which brought the Disney+ film to the big screen for the first time in honor of the Broadway phenom’s 10th anniversary — proves the “genuine sector” behind reverse windows. Plus, high expectations for next week’s Demon Slayer debut, and which upcoming flicks caught Richard’s eye at TIFF.
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