'Halloween' scares up big box office numbers in North America
US actress Jamie Lee Curtis, who stars in "Halloween", attends the premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, California, on October 17, 2018. The movie registered an impressive $77.5 million in estimated ticket sales. PHOTO | FILE | AFP
What you need to know:
- Universal executives could be excused for a bit of gloating – they produced Halloween for a microscopic $10 million (Sh1 billion).
- Halloween recounts the return of homicidal masked figure Michael Myers (Nick Castle) 40 years after he set off on a bloody Halloween night killing spree.
- Jamie Lee Curtis again stars as Laurie Strode, sole survivor of that spree.
North American moviegoers really like to be scared, and Universal gleefully accommodated them this weekend as its new release Halloween registered an impressive $76.2 million (Sh7.7 billion) in ticket sales, industry tracker Exhibitor Relations reported Monday.
That strong three-day number gave the film the second-best opening ever for an October, trailing only Venom, which earlier this month booked an $80 million (Sh8.1 billion) debut.
Universal executives could be excused for a bit of gloating – they produced Halloween for a microscopic $10 million (Sh1 billion).
Halloween recounts the return of homicidal masked figure Michael Myers (Nick Castle) 40 years after he set off on a bloody Halloween night killing spree.
Jamie Lee Curtis again stars as Laurie Strode, sole survivor of that spree.
"OK. I'm going for one BOAST post. Biggest horror movie opening with a female lead," Curtis tweeted, reeling off a list of the movie's achievements.
"Biggest movie opening with a female lead over 55. Second biggest October movie opening ever. Biggest Halloween opening ever #womengetthingsdone."
Holding tight in second spot was Warner Bros musical drama A Star Is Born, with ticket sales of $19.1 million (Sh1.9 billion).
The film, the third remake of a 1937 movie, was directed by Bradley Cooper. He plays a hard-drinking musician who falls in love with a young singer (Lady Gaga), only to see her star rise as his plunges.
Sony's Venom was not far behind, taking in $18 million (Sh1.8 billion) as it approaches $500 million (Sh50.58 billion) globally.
Tom Hardy stars as a journalist who becomes the super powerful host for an alien creature.
In fourth was another seasonal offering, Sony's Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween, at $9.7 million (Sh981 million). The family-friendly sequel, based on the R.L. Stine children's books, stars Wendi McLendon-Covey and Madison Iseman.
Fifth spot went to Universal's astronaut drama First Man, with $8.3 million (Sh839.6 million). The film, directed by Oscar winner Damien Chazelle and starring Ryan Gosling, recounts Neil Armstrong's historic journey to the moon in 1969.
Rounding out this weekend's top 10 were:
The Hate U Give ($7.6 million)
Smallfoot ($6.6 million)
Night School ($4.9 million)
Bad Times at the El Royale ($3.4 million)
The Old Man & The Gun ($2.1 million)
