Terrifying Thrillers Sweep Box Office, Setting Spine-Chilling Records

Summary

The Exorcist: Believer has dominated the box office on its opening weekend with a projected total of $28 million.

The Exorcist: Believer is at the forefront of a weekend filled with horror films, with a total of five of the Top 10 movies belonging to this genre. Joining the lineup of terrifying movies are Saw X, A Haunting in Venice, The Nun 2, and the special 30th anniversary re-release of Hocus Pocus.

On the opening weekend of The Exorcist: Believer, horror movies dominate the box office. This new movie, which premiered three weeks prior to Halloween, serves as a follow-up to the original film and brings back the character Chris MacNeil, played by Ellen Burstyn, 50 years later. Directed and co-written by David Gordon Green, the film marks the beginning of a new trilogy. It secures the top spot at the box office this weekend with an estimated 3-day earnings of $28 million.

According to Deadline, The Exorcist: Believer's box office success is not the only horror film making waves this weekend. The domestic Top 10 also showcases other horror titles. Two horror movies claim spots in the Top 5, and half of the entire list consists of horror films. Alongside The Exorcist, we have Saw X in third place, earning $8 million this weekend. A Haunting in Venice follows at No. 6 with $2.65 million, followed by The Nun 2 at No. 7 with $2.6 million, and the 30th-anniversary re-release of Hocus Pocus at No. 10, grossing $1.67 million.

Which Fall 2023 Horror Movie Will Come Out On Top?

Leading up to Halloween, the month prior typically sees a surge in the release of horror movies. Many viewers are drawn to this genre during this time as they prepare for the October 31st holiday. While the current horror movies dominating the charts will be the main offerings in theaters this Fall, there is still one significant release scheduled for the weekend just before Halloween: the highly anticipated Five Nights at Freddy's movie, based on the popular video game series of the same name.

The outcome of these horror titles in terms of success is still uncertain after Halloween is over. Many of them are associated with well-known franchises, although this hasn't always translated to box office triumph. For example, both Saw X and The Nun 2 had lower opening weekends compared to other films in their respective franchises. Among them, The Nun 2 currently holds the highest revenues overall, accumulating a domestic total of $81 million.

Saw X and The Exorcist: Believer still have a chance to catch up with The Nun 2's box office earnings since they were released later. However, The Nun 2 has shown uncommon resilience, as horror films often experience significant drops in their second week. Hence, it is probable that this spinoff from the Conjuring Universe will remain at the top. Nonetheless, we still don't know how The Exorcist will perform in its second week, and there is the possibility that Five Nights at Freddy's, with its popular video game source material, could become a major success. Therefore, it is too early to declare a winner in this race.

Source: Deadline