‘Annabelle’ wins movie weekend
‘Annabelle: Creation’ takes possession of top spot as the summer season winds down.
The horror film about a creepy doll was too much for its box office rivals, with “Dunkirk” finishing second.
Movie audiences said “hello” to a scary dolly over the weekend.
The horror film “Annabelle: Creation” proved a winner, bringing in an estimated $35 million in its opening weekend in the U.S. and Canada, above studio expectations of $25 million to $30 million and analysts’ of $25 million.
“We’re absolutely thrilled and elated that audiences really embraced Annabelle,” said Jeff Goldstein, the studio’s distribution chief. “She is just one horrible doll.”
Directed by David F. Sandberg, the film about a possessed doll that terrorizes families is a prequel to 2014’s “Annabelle” — which opened to $37.1 million and was itself a prequel to the 2013 hit “The Conjuring,” based loosely on the stories of real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. The film received mostly positive reviews and a B rating on CinemaScore.
Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk,” now in its fourth week, maintained its No. 2 standing after being dethroned by last week’s debut of “The Dark Tower.” The World War II drama brought in an additional $11.4 million.
“The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature” cracked the top three, bringing in $8.9 million, but its debut landed under expectations of $12 million to $15 million. Open Road’s PG-rated animated sequel about chattering squirrels, featuring the voices of Will Arnett, Katherine Heigl and Maya Rudolph, performed well under the first “Nut Job,” which opened with $19 million and went on to earn $64 million domestically.
Last week’s top-ranked “Dark Tower” was bumped to fourth place, bringing in an additional $7.8 million.
The animated comedy “The Emoji Movie” brought in $6.6 million.
Among smaller releases, Lionsgate’s “The Glass Castle” took in $4.9 million, on par with analysts’ expectations of $5 million, and debuted at No. 9. The film, based on the New York Times bestseller by Jeannette Walls and with an ensemble cast that includes Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, Naomi Watts and Max Greenfield, recounts Walls’ upbringing in a nomadic, poverty-stricken family.
The Destin Daniel Cretton-directed movie, which opened with a midsize release on about 1,400 screens, received a lackluster response from critics, earning a 50% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
In limited release, the Aubrey Plaza-led “Ingrid Goes West” brought in a solid $141,216 in three theaters, for a per-theater average of $47,072. The R-rated comedy, directed by Matt Spicer, stars Elizabeth Olsen as an Instagram-famous “influencer” whose perfectly curated lifestyle becomes the titular character’s latest obsession.
The R-rated “Good Time,” distributed by A24, premiered to strong results, earning $137,625 in just four locations for a per-screen average of $34,406. The film chronicles a twisted odyssey through New York City and stars Jennifer Jason Leigh and Robert Pattinson.
Annapurna Pictures’ “Detroit,” now in its third week, saw a 58% drop-off from last weekend, and came in at No. 13.
Meanwhile, the Weinstein Co.’s “Wind River” added 41 theaters for a total of 45 in its second weekend, earning $642,067 for a total of $870,825. The murder mystery, written and directed by Taylor Sheridan (“Sicario” and “Hell or High Water”) stars Jeremy Renner, Olsen and Graham Greene and takes place on an Indian reservation in Wyoming.