If the last three weeks ofCrazy Rich Asians-dominated box office reports were a downright holy and righteous period of light and positivity, here comes demonic Gothic horrorThe Nun—poppining out of the shadows accompanied by avery jarringmusic cue—to possess moviegoer’s attention. Warner Bros.' 1952-set spookshow grabbed $22.4 on Friday, gliding toward an estimated $50 million opening weekend. Directed byCorin Hardy, the film sends a priest (Demián Bichir), a novitiate (Taissa Farmiga), and a French-Canadian (Jonas Bloquet) into abarRomanian convent to explain a nun’s mysterious suicide. Hell beasts and Hail Maries ensue.
These numbers would putThe Nun’s opening weekend ahead of those from the rest of itsConjuringUniverse cohorts, which also includes a pair ofAnnabellefilms and director James Wan’sThe ConjuringandThe Conjuring 2. (It also boasts the worst CinemaScore of the bunch, a C-. Pay no attention to the pans behind the curtain!) A $50-million+ bow would also putThe Nun—which cost a reported $22 million to proudce—in second place for the biggest September opening of all time, right behind last year’sIT.
While audiences are screaming, Warner Bros. is laughing themselves silly while Scrooge McDuck diving into piles of cash. The studio is having one heck of a summer, with The Nun coming after itsCrazy Rich AsiansandThe Megdominated the month of August. (Even in third place,Crazy Rich Asiansstill managed a not-too-shabby $3.83 million in its third Friday.)
Meanwhile, newcomerPeppermint—an R-Rated action-thriller fromTakendirectorPierre MorelstarringJennifer Garner—got off to a shaky start, taking in a not-so-great $4.65 million. The film, which carries a Rotten Tomatoes score of 16% but a B+ CinemaScore (something something for the fans, not the critics), is on track for a $12 million opening.
Check back tomorrow for full weekend estimates, and take a look at Friday’s numbers below.
$22,370,000
Peppermint
$4,650,000
Crazy Rich Asians
$3,830,000
$126,452,165
$1,430,000
$11,226,130
$1,350,000
$126,892,774
