Conjuring sequel measures up to first

NEW YORK — The recent slump of sequels at the box office finally caught a break with The Conjuring 2, a horror sequel that topped weekend theatres with an estimated $40.4 million.

The Warner Bros. film, in which Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson play married paranormal investigators, opened nearly on par with its 2013 original, which was also directed by James Wan. That film debuted with $41.8 million and went on to earn $319 million globally.

The big-budget video-game adaptation Warcraft, a co-production between Universal and Legendary that reportedly cost $160 million to make, came in second with $24.4 million, according to studio estimates. Though it effectively bombed in North America, Warcraft has been a hit overseas, particularly in China.

In China, the film, taken from the World of Warcraft video game franchise, has made a staggering $156 million in its first five days. That surpasses the foreign film release record of Avengers: Age of Ultron, not to mention blockbusters such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

The Lionsgate magician caper Now You See Me 2, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo and Woody Harrelson, opened in third place with $23 million domestically. That’s a drop from the original’s $29.4 million debut. It eventually grossed $351.7 million worldwide.

The dip for Now You See Me 2 was more in line with the diminishing results seen from recent poorly performing sequels. Alice Through the Looking Glass, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (last week’s top film, which slid to fourth this weekend with $14.8 million), Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Ride Along 2 and The Huntsman: Winter’s War have all done worse than their preceding films.

Next week, Pixar’s Finding Dory will hope to continue the turn of fortune for sequels. The Finding Nemo sequel is expected to perhaps be Pixar’s biggest opening ever.