After a longer-than-expected wait, the fictionalized versions of Ed and Lorraine Warren have financially gone out with a bang.
Per the Hollywood Reporter, this weekend’s The Conjuring: Last Rites has made $187 million worldwide. Of that, $83 million came domestically, becoming the best launch for a Conjuring movie, the third-biggest open for a horror movie overall, and well past initial projections from Warner Bros. and box office analysts. Internationally, its $104 million take also defied expectations and became the second horror biggest opening for a Hollywood horror movie.
Last Rites once again sees real-life couple Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as the Warrens as they investigate the Smurl hauntings. The movie’s marketing has leaned heavily on this being the pair’s last case as paranormal investigators, and by extension the end of the Warrens’ tenure in these movies. Despite that, The Conjuring itself isn’t going anywhere, as there’s a TV show in the works for HBO Max. Rites has earned mixed reviews, but nothing outside the norm for the overall franchise.
Outside of Conjuring, New Line’s Weapons continues to clean up. Now in its fifth week, the horror-thriller has made another $10 million worldwide—$5.4 million domestic, and $4.6 million international—to bring its overall total to $250 million. Earlier this week, New Line revealed the film would be hitting digital platforms on Tuesday, September 9 before its physical release on October 14. No word yet on an HBO Max date.
Looking ahead, the month’s theatrical genre movies include The Long Walk on September 12, Him and A Big Bold Beautiful Journey on September 19, and The Strangers: Chapter 2 on September 26.
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