No matter how you look at the numbers, 鈥淗alloween Ends鈥� had a good opening weekend.
Touted as the final showdown between Laurie Strode and Michael Myers, the slasher pic earned $41.3 million in ticket sales from 3,901 theaters in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday. It鈥檚 the first film to open higher than $40 million since 鈥淣ope鈥� debuted in July and it surpassed its production budget, which has been reported to be between $20 and $30 million. Including international showings, it boasts a global total of $58.4 million.
鈥淲e are extraordinarily excited that Blumhouse once again delivered an incredible film and another No. 1 opening,鈥� said Jim Orr, Universal鈥檚 head of domestic distribution. 鈥淛amie Lee Curtis had audiences across North America engaged and terrified.鈥�
The film also renewed an evergreen debate about day-and-date movie releases and some in Hollywood are wondering whether it could have been even bigger if it hadn鈥檛 debuted simultaneously on Peacock, NBC Universal's streaming service.
Going into the weekend, some analysts had pegged 鈥淗alloween Ends鈥� for an opening in the $50 to $55 million range. 鈥淗alloween Kills,鈥� the previous installment in the David Gordon Green-directed 鈥淗alloween鈥� trilogy,鈥� opened day-and-date last year and still grossed $49 million on opening weekend.
Green鈥檚 first 鈥淗alloween,鈥� by contrast, debuted to $76.2 million in 2018. But that was pre-pandemic, theatrical release only and the highly anticipated revival of a beloved franchise with good reviews. His subsequent 鈥淗alloween鈥� films were more divisive among critics and fans, however. 鈥淜ills鈥� had a 39% Rotten Tomatoes score while 鈥淓nds鈥� has a 40% and still opened over $40 million.
鈥淭he day-and-date model was put to the test again, but I think this is a mandate in favor of the movie theater,鈥� said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. 鈥淎udiences had the option to watch it at home but they chose to go to the theater."
Many studios experimented with day-and-date releases during the second year of the pandemic to varying results, but 2022 has seen most returning to traditional theatrical-first releases 鈥� especially for their most valuable brands and franchises.
Still, it triggered a self-proclaimed 鈥渞ant鈥� from filmmaker Christopher Landon, who tweeted this weekend that he felt his horror film 鈥淔reaky鈥� was hurt by its simultaneous release in theaters and streaming in November 2020.
鈥淪top doing this. Please. It doesn鈥檛 work. Studios: stop gambling with filmmakers and their movies to try and prop up your fledgling streaming services,鈥� Landon wrote on Twitter. 鈥淚 begged the studio not to do this...We got hosed.鈥�
Though there was likely some financial impact on 鈥淗alloween Ends,鈥� it鈥檚 hard to glean exactly how much money was left on the table with the release. Peacock is notably smaller than many of its streaming competitors, with 13 million paid subscribers reported at the end of July. Studios also rarely release specific streaming data.
鈥淪mile,鈥� meanwhile, has continued to defy horror-movie odds with another strong weekend. Paramount鈥檚 original thriller added $12.4 million, bringing its domestic total to $71.2 million after three weeks.
Dergarabedian noted that it's rare two have two R-rated horror movies at the top of the box office charts.
鈥淭he appeal of being scared in a movie theater is time honored,鈥� Dergarabedian said. 鈥淭hroughout the pandemic, horror movies have grossed over $1 billion, and that鈥檚 just domestically.鈥�
Third place for the weekend went to Sony鈥檚 鈥淟yle, Lyle, Crocodile,鈥� down 35% from its debut with $7.4 million, while 鈥淭he Woman King鈥� landed in fourth place with $3.7 million in its fifth weekend, bringing its domestic total to $59.7 million. 鈥淎msterdam鈥� rounded out the top five in weekend two with $2.9 million.
In limited release, United Artists Releasing's Mamie Till-Mobley film 鈥淭ILL鈥� got off to a strong start with $240,940 from only 16 locations. Director Chinonye Chukwu's fact-based account of Emmett Till's mother's quest for justice will be expanding in the coming weeks.
鈥淗ats off to producers Barbara Broccoli, Keith Beauchamp, and Whoopi Goldberg who fought to get this movie made for decades,鈥� said Erik Lomis, UAR鈥檚 President of Distribution. 鈥淭his weekend, the film attracted an incredibly diverse, multi-generational audience, playing both 鈥榮marthouse鈥� and commercial venues. We鈥檙e off to a great start.鈥�
Focus Features' 鈥淭谩r," another buzzy awards contender, also expanded into 36 theaters this weekend 鈥� earning another $360,000 鈥� and will continue opening in more markets over the next two weeks.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. 鈥淗alloween Ends,鈥� $41.3 million.
2. 鈥淪mile,鈥� $12.4 million.
3. 鈥淟yle, Lyle, Crocodile,鈥� $7.4 million.
4. 鈥淭he Woman King,鈥� $3.7 million.
5. 鈥淎msterdam,鈥� $2.9 million.
6. 鈥淒on't Worry Darling,鈥� $2.2 million.
7. 鈥淏arbarian,鈥� $1.4 million.
8. 鈥淏ros,鈥� $920,000.
9. 鈥淭errifier 2,鈥� $850,000.
10. 鈥淭op Gun: Maverick,鈥� $685,000.
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Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr.
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
