Box Office: ‘The Nun II’ Scares Away ‘Equalizer 3’ With $13 Million Opening Day.
“The Nun II” made a chilling debut at the box office, raking in an impressive $13 million on its opening day, which includes an encouraging $3.1 million from preview screenings.
This latest installment, the ninth in Warner Bros.’ renowned “Conjuring” series, is anticipated to secure an opening weekend total of approximately $31.3 million. While this marks a slight dip from the groundbreaking performance of its predecessor, it’s still expected to outshine Denzel Washington’s “The Equalizer 3” on the North American charts.
The original “The Nun,” released in 2018, continues to hold the crown for the highest opening in the entire “Conjuring” universe, boasting an impressive $53.8 million. Additionally, it stands as the franchise’s top-grossing installment worldwide, amassing an impressive $365.5 million in earnings.
Actors Taissa Farmiga and Bonnie Aarons reprise their roles as Sister Irene and the enigmatic Nun, while newcomers Jonas Bloquet, Storm Reid, and Anna Popplewell join the ensemble. Director Michael Chaves makes a comeback to the series, having previously helmed “The Curse of La Llorona” and “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.”
“The Nun II” is poised to carve its place within the “Conjuring” universe, likely surpassing the opening weekends of “Annabelle Comes Home” ($20.3 million), “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” ($24 million), and “The Curse of La Llorona” ($26.5 million), and closely trailing “Annabelle: Creation” ($35 million). This horror sequel received a “C+” rating on CinemaScore and garnered a 45% approval rating from leading critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
In its second weekend, “The Equalizer 3” is anticipated to secure the second spot, pulling in $3.4 million on Friday across 3,965 locations. This third installment in Denzel Washington’s action-packed thriller series is projected to contribute an additional $11.6 million to its domestic box office earnings. “The Equalizer 3” made an impressive debut last weekend, collecting $42.3 million, marking the second-highest Labor Day opening in history. To date, it has amassed around $59 million in total revenue.
Taking the third spot is Focus Features’ “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3,” which garnered $3.7 million in earnings on Friday across 3,650 theaters. The romantic comedy is projected to achieve a modest debut weekend of around $9.5 million. This installment in the rom-com trilogy led by Nia Vardalos centers around the Portokalos family reuniting in Greece following the passing of Gus, portrayed by Michael Constantine (who passed away in 2021). In addition to Vardalos, who also directed the film, the cast includes John Corbett, Louis Mandylor, Elena Kampouris, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone, Lainie Kazan, and Andrea Martin. The film received a “B” grade on CinemaScore and garnered a 27% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Securing the fourth position, the Hindi-language action thriller “Jawan” pulled in an impressive $1.7 million on its opening day. This marks director Atlee’s debut in the Hindi film industry. “Jawan” is anticipated to achieve a weekend debut of $5.5 million at the North American box office. The film boasts Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan in a dual role, portraying both a father and son.
Closing out the top five, Greta Gerwig’s collaboration with Warner Bros., “Barbie,” garnered $1.38 million, showing a 45% decline from the previous Friday. This vibrant fantasy comedy, which surpassed “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” as the highest-grossing global release of the year with a staggering $1.38 billion, is expected to accumulate $4.9 million in its eighth weekend of screening.