Universal scarefest ‘Halloween Ends’ scored a strong start this weekend, topping the North American box office with an estimated take of $41.3 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.
Analysts had thought that the number would be closer to $50 million. But given that the movie came out simultaneously on the Peacock streaming service and that it only cost $30 million to make, David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research said that the movie’s earnings were “excellent.”
Horror movies always do well in the weeks before Halloween. This weekend, Paramount’s “Smile,” a scary movie, came in second with $12.4 million. Sosie Bacon plays a therapist who loses touch with reality after a horrible thing happens.
Sony’s live-action/computer-animated musical comedy “Lyle, Lyle Crocodile,” which came out last weekend, was in third place with $7.4 million from Friday to Sunday. It dropped one spot from last weekend. Starring roles go to Javier Bardem, Shawn Mendes, and Constance Wu.
Another Sony movie, “The Woman King,” based on actual events, stayed in fourth place with $3.7 million in ticket sales. Viola Davis plays the leader of an army of African warrior women who are all women.
“Amsterdam,” a comedy-thriller from the 20th Century that fell two spots to fifth place with $2.9 million, was a comedy-thriller. Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, and John David Washington are the actors in it.
The Rest of the Top Ten:
- “Don’t Worry, Sweetheart” ($2.2 million)
- “Barbarian” ($1.4 million)
- “Bros” ($920,000)
- “Terrifier 2” ($850,000)
- “Top Gun: Maverick” ($685,000).
