âHalloween Killsâ carves out $50.4 million at box office, even with simultaneous streaming debut
âHalloween Killsâ may be available to watch at home, but the latest installment in the Michael Myers saga is making a killing at the North American box office in its first weekend in theaters. The David Gordon Green-directed horror scared up $50.4 million from 3,705 locations, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Universalâs âHalloween Killsâ far surpassed expectations, which had the film pegged for a more conservative debut in the $30 million range. It also easily bested its main competition, which included the James Bond pic âNo Time to Die,â in its second weekend, and Ridley Scottâs medieval epic âThe Last Duel.â Both are playing exclusively in theaters.
The film picks up where Greenâs 2018 âHalloweenâ left off, on the same bloody night, with Jamie Lee Curtis back as Laurie Strode. Some were surprised when the studio made the decision to release âHalloween Killsâ simultaneously in theaters and on NBC Universalâs Peacock for premium subscribers, but the day-and-date strategy does not seem to have hurt its box office haul.
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âDavid Gordon Green crafted an incredibly terrifying continuation of this franchise that our core audience was more than eager to come out to the theater to see,â said Jim Orr, Universalâs head of domestic distribution. âAudiences want to be out, they want to be in theaters, and they want to experience it communally.â
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Before âHalloween Kills,â which had a reported $20 million production budget, the biggest day-and-date opening of the year was Warner Bros.ⲠâGodzilla vs. Kongâ which grossed $32.2 million in its first weekend while also being available on HBO Max. Itâs a best for a pandemic-era horror opening, narrowly beating out âA Quiet Place Part II.â
The 2018 âHalloweenâ was a massive hit that opened to $76.2 million and went on to gross north of $256 million against a $10 million budget. And there are plans for a third that will close out the modern Michael Myers trilogy.
The opening weekend crowd for âHalloween Killsâ was slightly more male (52%), and it was diverse (36% Caucasian, 34% Hispanic and 18% Black), according to exit polls.
âHorror movies have been a mainstay of the box office throughout the pandemic,â said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscoreâs senior media analyst. âAudiences just love seeing horror movies in a movie theater. ... But this also isnât just a horror movie, âHalloweenâ is a huge brand, and this is 43 years in the making.â
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The James Bond film âNo Time To Dieâ slid into second place in its second weekend in North America with $24.3 million, which is down only 56% from last weekend and brings its total to $99.5 million. Globally, âNo Time to Dieâ has earned $447,521 million.
Further down the charts is âThe Last Duel,â Scottâs 14th century drama starring Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jodie Comer and Adam Driver, which has earned only an estimated $4.8 million from 3,065 locations despite positive reviews and an exclusive theatrical run. Distributed by the Walt Disney Co., âThe Last Duelâ was a title the company inherited in the deal with 20th Century Fox.
Next week Warner Bros.â big budget adaptation of âDuneâ opens in North American theaters and on HBO Max, as does Disneyâs âRonâs Gone Wrongâ and Wes Andersonâs âThe French Dispatch.â
âEvery week weâre getting a lesson in the dynamics of this marketplace as related to the various release models,â said Dergarabedian. ââHalloween Killsâ is important because people could have just sat at home where the buy-in was modest. This is evidence of the power of the movie theater and its allure and appeal to the moviegoer.â
What to watch this weekend: Horror sequel 'Halloween Kills,' A-list period drama 'The Last Duel'
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. âHalloween Kills,â $50.4 million.
2. âNo Time to Die,â $24.3 million.
3. âVenom: Let There Be Carnage,â $16.5 million.
4. âThe Addams Family 2,â $7.2 million.
5. âThe Last Duel,â $4.8 million.
6. âShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,â $3.5 million.
7. âFree Guy,â $680,000.
8. âLamb,â $543,000.
9. âCandyman,â $460,000.
10. âDear Evan Hansen,â $410,000.
Last weekend:'No Time to Die,' Daniel Craig's final Bond movie, nails top spot with $56M at box office
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