‘Candyman’ hooks crowds at theaters
The Universal Pictures film “Candyman” starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II impressively pulled in more than $22.3 million through a quiet weekend despite concerns over the delta variant.
The R-rated horror movie, co-written by Jordan Peele and directed by Nia DaCosta, delves into an urban legend that believes if someone repeats “Candyman” five times in front of a mirror, that person would summon the hook-handed killer.
The sequel is a follow up to the original “Candyman” in 1992. The new film expects to gross $5.23 million in 51 international markets.
“It was a quiet weekend, but it was another check mark in the success column for horror,” Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore.
“Candyman” claimed No. 1 over second place “Free Guy,” which scored first place at the box office the previous two weekends. The action comedy starring Ryan Reynolds as a background character in a video game, earned more than $13.5 million.
After “Free Guy,” the numbers begin to substantially drop.
In third place, “PAW Patrol” reeled in $6.6 million — a 50% dip from the film’s opening weekend number. The Paramount film, based on the popular kids TV show, has garnered more than $24 million.
“Jungle Cruise” placed fourth with $5 million, helping the Disney action-adventure film starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt eclipse the $100 million mark in North America during a five-week span.
“Don’t Breathe 2” earned $2.8 million, “Respect” starring Jennifer Hudson brought in $2.2 million and “The Suicide Squad” tallied just over $2 million.
Meanwhile, “The Protege” with Michael Keaton and Maggie Q pulled in $1.6 million and “The Night House” had $1.2 million.
“Black Widow” barely held onto the 10th spot with $855,000. In eight weeks, the Marvel film starring Scarlett Johansson has accumulated more than $181.5 million in North America.