It’s the latest ‘scream queen’
Horror fans send “Happy Death Day” to top of box office.
It’s been a great season for horror, with Blumhouse’s “Happy Death Day” becoming the latest such film to top the domestic box office in its opening weekend.
The $5-million movie, a bloody riff on the classic “Groundhog Day” concept, brought in an estimated $26.5 million in the U.S. and Canada, according to figures from measurement firm ComScore, above the $15 million to $20 million analysts projected.
“We are absolutely thrilled with the opening,” said Jim Orr, Universal’s executive vice president of domestic distribution.
“Happy Death Day” is Blumhouse’s ninth picture to open at No. 1 and its third to debut at the top this year alone, after “Split” and “Get Out.” The latest from producer Jason Blum and Universal Pictures, the film, about a woman who relives the day of her murder until she learns her killer’s identity, has a B rating on CinemaScore and a 64% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
“Blumhouse is just having a tremendous year,” said Orr. “This one, like many other Blumhouse films, is a reimagining of the genre. It brings more than the normal horror film would. It’s clever, it’s scary, it’s funny, it’s just a great twist on the genre and the audiences responded accordingly. We couldn’t be more pleased to be associated with them.”
In its second week, Alcon Entertainment’s “Blade Runner 2049” came in second, earning $15.1 million (on par with analysts’ expectations), a 54% drop, for a total of $60.6 million.
STX Entertainment’s Jackie Chan-Pierce Brosnan action thriller, “The Foreigner,” debuted at No. 3, in range of analysts’ projections of $10 million to $14 million, with $12.8 million in ticket sales. The $35-million movie, about a London businessman out for revenge after his daughter is killed by terrorists, is the latest attempt to create a coproduction with China that has global appeal, and it has already grossed $75 million in other countries, including China. Directed by Martin Campbell, the film earned an A-minus rating on CinemaScore and a 57% “rotten” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
In fourth was New Line Cinema’s “It,” now in its sixth weekend; it brought in $6.1 million, a 39% drop since last week, for a cumulative total of $314.9 million.
Rounding out the top five is Fox Searchlight’s “The Mountain Between Us,” now in its second weekend, which earned $5.7 million.
In limited release, Open Roads Films premiered the Chadwick Boseman historical drama “Marshall,” based on an early trial in the career of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, to $3 million. The $12-million film was directed by Reginald Hudlin (“Boomerang”) and stars Kate Hudson and Sterling K. Brown.
Annapurna Pictures released the drama “Professor Marston and the Wonder Women,” about the American psychologist who created the Wonder Woman character, in 1,229 locations, bringing in $737,000 .
Fox Searchlight opened the Domhnall Gleeson-Margot Robbie drama “Goodbye Christopher Robin” in nine locations to $56,000. The film explores the relationship between Winnie the Pooh author A.A. Milne and his son Christopher Robin, whose toys inspired the classic.
This week , Warner Bros. opens “Geostorm,” Sony and Columbia Pictures debut “Only the Brave,” Pure Flix premieres “Same Kind of Different as Me,” Universal has “The Snowman,” and Lionsgate premieres “Tyler Perry’s Boo 2! A Madea Halloween.” Abramorama opens the Jane Goodall doc “Jane” in limited release.