'~Candyman' slashes way toward No. 1 box office spot
LOS ANGELES (AP) - 'œCandyman'ť hooked the top spot at the North American box office.
The Universal Pictures film 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 'œCandyman'ť five times in front of a mirror, that person would summon the hook-handed killer.
The sequel is a follow up to the original 'œCandyman'ť in 1992. The new film expects to gross $5.23 million in 51 international markets.
'œIt was a quiet weekend, but it was another check mark in the success column for horror,'ť Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore.
'œCandyman'ť claimed No. 1 over second place 'œFree Guy,'ť 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 'œFree Guy,'ť the numbers begin to substantially drop.
Dergarabedian said consumers are being very selective in what they do outside of their homes, particularly when it comes to heading into theaters.
'œWhen you have brand new movies, if they are of a genre that people love like horror or have star like Ryan Reynolds and a movie that's perceived to be great, people want to go out to see them,'ť he said. 'œThe other films that are either available on streaming and/or not getting the greatest buzz or reviews are going to drop by the wayside. It's just the nature of this marketplace.'ť
In third place, 'œPAW Patrol'ť 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.
'œJungle Cruise'ť 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.
'œDon't Breathe 2'ť earned $2.8 million, 'œRespect'ť starring Jennifer Hudson brought in $2.2 million and 'œThe Suicide Squad'ť tallied just over $2 million.
Meanwhile, 'œThe Protege'ť with Michael Keaton and Maggie Q pulled in $1.6 million and 'œThe Night House'ť had $1.2 million.
'œBlack Widow'ť 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.
Dergarabedian believes the box office could experience some growing pains in the coming weeks.
'œYou're going to have a very top-heavy box office and particularly for films that are available on streaming,'ť he said. 'œIf they're not totally buzzworthy, then people will just stay at home and check them out there.
"If those movies at the top are generating great word of mouth and goodwill with audiences toward going to the movie theater, that's good for the business long term,'ť Dergarabedian said.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. 'œCandyman,'ť $22.3 million ($5.2 million international).
2. 'œFree Guy,'ť $13.5 million ($37.3 million international).
3. 'œPAW Patrol,'ť $6.6 million ($10.3 million international).
4. 'œJungle Cruise,'ť $5 million ($2.7 million international).
5. 'œDon't Breathe 2,'ť $2.8 million ($1.6 million international).
6. 'œRespect,'ť $2.2 million.
7. 'œThe Suicide Squad,'ť $2 million ($4.6 million international).
8. 'œThe Protege,'ť $1,6 million.
9. 'œThe Night House,'ť $1.2 million.
10. 'œBlack Widow,'ť $855,000.