Horror Fans Rejoice: “The Nun 2” Set to Break Records!
In an exciting turn of events, “The Nun 2” grossed an impressive $3.1 million on its opening night across 3,200 theaters. This highly anticipated sequel, part of New Line’s Conjuring universe, had initial projections predicting a slightly lower opening compared to its franchise predecessor, which set a record at $53.8 million.
However, “The Nun 2” seems set to continue the summer blockbuster trend with an estimated start of over $30 million.
Back in 2018, the first installment of “The Nun” made $5.4 million during previews and soared to a remarkable $22 million on its first Friday.
Much of its success can be attributed to the strong support from Latino and Hispanic moviegoers, and a similar trend is expected to follow with the sequel. Michael Chaves, known for directing “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” and “The Curse of La Llorona,” takes the helm in “The Nun 2,” succeeding Corin Hardy.
Critical reception for the sequel has been favorable, with a 51% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, an improvement over the 24% of the first installment. It’s worth noting that even less favorable reviews did not hinder the box office success of “The Nun.”
With “The Nun 2,” Warner Bros. is once again capitalizing on the post-Labor Day horror release frame that was a hit with 2017’s “It,” which grossed an impressive $123.4 million. While originally scheduled to release Stephen King’s “Salem’s Lot” last September, New Line postponed it indefinitely.
In addition to “The Nun 2,” Focus Features’ “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3” premiered with $550,000 across 2,500 theaters. Critics have been less kind to this threequel, giving it a 27% Rotten Tomatoes rating, in stark contrast to the positive reception of the original in 2002, which garnered a 76% approval rating.
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Nia Vardalos, the franchise’s writer, takes on the role of director in this latest installment. The film is expected to open to mid-to-high single-digit earnings. Impressively, this sequel arrived 14 years after the original and managed to open at $17.8 million and ultimately grossed $59.6 million domestically.
Meanwhile, Sony’s “The Equalizer 3” wrapped up its first week with an impressive $49.7 million, surpassing the first film’s initial week earnings of $45.4 million but falling just 1% short of “Equalizer 2.”
Notably, the first “Equalizer” experienced a 45% weekend-to-weekend drop, whereas “Equalizer 2” had a more significant decline of -61%.
