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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Monday 14 august 2017
‘Annabelle’ scares up $35M, jolting sleepy box office

By JAKE COYLE opened with $37.1 million in
AP Film Writer October 2014. Warner Bros.
NEW YORK (AP) — The could celebrate not only
“Conjuring” spinoff “Anna- the month’s biggest debut
belle: Creation” scared up but also having the week’s
an estimated $35 million in top two films. Christopher
North American theaters Nolan’s “Dunkirk” followed
over the weekend, making in second with $11.4 million
it easily the top film and giv- in its fourth weekend, ac-
ing the lagging August box cording to studio estimates
office a shot in the arm. Sunday. Even amid an es-
The opening came close to pecially weak August, the
matching the film’s prede- well-reviewed horror se-
cessor, “Annabelle,” which quel and modestly budget-

This image released by Warner Bros Pictures shows Lulu Wilson in “Annabelle: Creation.”
Associated Press
ed “Annabelle: Creation” er” with $8.9 million. That domestically. The movie,
found eager audiences. was well below the 2014 starring Jada Pinkett Smith
“That we were able to debut of the original, “The and Queen Latifah, took
do $35 million in what is a Nut Job,” which opened in $6.5 million in its fourth
very sluggish marketplace with $19.4 million. week to bring its cumula-
was very impressive,” said But the solid returns for “An- tive total to $97.2 million. It
Jeffrey Goldstein, Warner nabelle: Creation” did little may end up doubling the
Bros.’ distribution chief. to counter the box-office gross of its closest summer
“We all know that movie- slide. The box office was comedy competition: the
going begets moviegoing down 31.6 percent from the starrier and pricey “Bay-
and right now it’s a dip in same weekend last year, watch” ($58.1 million in its
the content overall.” when “Suicide Squad” was entire run). In limited re-
The film, the third to spiral No. 1 despite brutal reviews lease, the A24 crime thriller
out of 2013’s “The Conjur- and Seth Rogen’s “Sau- “Good Time,” starring Rob-
ing,” cost only about $15 sage Party” opened. The ert Pattinson, debuted with
million to make. More se- summer altogether is down a robust $34,000 per-screen
quels and spinoffs are be- 12.4 percent from last year, average on four screens.
ing developed in what has according to comScore. That was bettered, though,
become for Warner Bros. “This is a great weekend to by the $47,000 screen-aver-
a steadily profitable hor- be a really scary doll and age of Neon’s “Ingrid Goes
ror franchise bent on old- Warner Bros., but for ev- West,” with Aubrey Plaza,
school frights. The “Anna- eryone else, it’s just plain on three screens. Both films
belle” offshoot centers on scary,” said Paul Derga- expand in coming weeks.
a possessed doll. rabedian, senior media Estimated ticket sales for Fri-
Last week’s top film, the analyst for comScore. “It day through Sunday at U.S.
poorly received Stephen proves the horror genre is and Canadian theaters
King adaptation “The Dark alive and well.” according to comScore.
Tower,” slid dramatically. Some of July’s bright spots, Where available, the latest
The Sony Pictures release, however, have continued international numbers also
starring Idris Elba and Mat- into August. The summer’s are included. Final domes-
thew McConaughey, top- top comedy, “Girls Trip,” will tic figures will be released
pled nearly 60 percent on soon surpass $100 million Monday.q
its second weekend with
an estimated $7.9 million.
The week’s other new en-
try, the Open Road ani-
mated release “Nut Job 2:
Nutty by Nature,” edged
just above “The Dark Tow-

budgetaruba@setarnet.aw