The Nun 2 and A Haunting in Venice virtually tied for the No. 1 spot in US and Canadian theaters over the weekend, with a slight edge carrying the horror sequel over the Hercule Poirot mystery, according to studio estimates Sunday. In its second weekend of release, Warner Bros.' The Nun 2, a spinoff from the studio's lucrative Conjuring franchise, grossed $14.7 million. If numbers hold, that will give The Nun 2, with up to a $56.5 million total and $158.8 million worldwide, the top spot at the box office for the second straight week. Close behind was A Haunting in Venice, Kenneth Branagh's third Agatha Christie adaptation. It opened with $14.5 million, the AP reports.
After the successful run of Murder on the Orient Express ($352.8 million worldwide against a production budget of $55 million) and the less-stellar global haul of Death on the Nile ($137.3 million against a $90 million budget), the sluggish start for A Haunting in Venice may have signaled the death knell for Branagh's detective. The film grossed $22.7 million internationally. It cost less than its predecessor, carrying a production budget of about $60 million. On one of the quietest weekends in movie theaters this year, Barbie ranked in the top five films for the ninth straight weekend. It added $4 million to bring its domestic total to $625 million and its global haul to $1.42 billion. Oppenheimer reached $912.7 million, making it the highest-grossing biopic ever, passing Bohemian Rhapsody.
Below are estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
- The Nun II, $14.7 million.
- A Haunting in Venice, $14.5 million.
- The Equalizer 3, $7.2 million.
- My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, $4.7million.
- Barbie, $4 million.
- Jawan, $2.5 million.
- Blue Beetle, $2.5 million.
- Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story, $2.4 million.
- Oppenheimer, $2.1 million.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, $2 million.
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