Welcome to this week's edition of Charts with Dan. We are looking at one of the most surprising box office weekends in a long time, and in a good way. While many films this year have underperformed, this past weekend was an exception with "The Conjuring: Last Rights." Expected to earn around $40 million, it actually grossed $84 million, leaving everyone astounded.
This massive success has given "The Conjuring: Last Rights" the distinction of having the best horror film opening this year, significantly outperforming "Final Destination Bloodlines" and ranking as the third highest opening for a horror film ever recorded. This is a tremendous boost for Warner Brothers, already on a successful streak this year with several other impressive hits.
The film's outstanding performance raises many questions. Despite its B cinema score, which is quite high for a horror movie, the word of mouth was not particularly exceptional compared to other films in the same franchise. However, the movie attracted a significant audience, notably female and Hispanic viewers, which may have contributed to its unexpected success.
In global charts, "The Conjuring: Last Rights" also made an international impact, grossing $110 million worldwide for its opening weekend. This marks the biggest worldwide opening for a horror film to date, surpassing previous records set by the "It" movies.
This event highlights the unpredictability of the box office market, where sometimes anticipated analytics fail to capture audience movements. "The Conjuring: Last Rights" proves that even experts can be puzzled by the triggers of such box office successes.