After two big weekends, the North American box office takes a hit

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Neither a Jordan Peele-produced horror nor a Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell romantic drama were enough to continue the September hot streak at the movies. After back-to-back weekends that had films majorly overperforming, first “The Conjuring: Last Rights” followed by the anime “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle,” the North American box office slowed significantly. 

Overall ticket sales were down nearly 50% from last weekend, with the holdover champion “Demon Slayer” edging out the newcomer “Him” for first place, according to studio estimates Sunday. Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures’ “Demon Slayer” added $17.3 million over the weekend, bringing its total to $104.7 million, which makes it the highest grossing anime film ever in North America. 

The football horror “Him” opened in second place with an estimated $13.5 million in ticket sales. Universal Pictures opened “Him” in 3,168 North American theatres, where the audience was 52% male and 65% over the age of 25. Internationally, it earned $400,000. 

Produced by Peele’s Monkeypaw and directed by Justin Tipping, “Him” is about a promising young quarterback (Tyriq Withers) who is invited to train with a veteran (Marlon Wayans) at an isolated compound. 

“Him” scored with neither critics (it carries a 29% on Rotten Tomatoes) nor audiences, who gave the film a C- CinemaScore. In his review for The Associated Press, film writer Jake Coyle wrote that the film “was made with the potent premise of bringing the kind of dark, satirical perspective that characterizes a Monkeypaw production to our violent national pastime. But that promise gets fumbled in an allegorical chamber play that grows increasingly tedious.” 

“Him” was also nearly upstaged by another horror, “The Conjuring: Last Rights,” which made an estimated $13 million in its third weekend. With a global total of $400 million, it’s now the biggest film in the Conjuring universe. 

They are two of three horror movies in this weekend’s top 10, including “Weapons.” According to data firm Comscore, this year that genre alone has generated $1.1 billion in domestic box office receipts, just several million short of the 2017 record driven by “It” and “Get Out.” 

“Horror movies have been on a bit of a hot streak,” said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s head of marketplace trends. “It’s going to be a record-breaking year.” 

In addition to “Demon Slayer,” Sony had a new film this weekend as well: The original romance “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey,” starring Robbie and Farrell, but that fizzled with audiences, earning only $3.5 million from 3,300 locations. It also received largely negative reviews and currently has a 37% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

“Audiences are selective in what they want to see,” Dergarabedian said. “Negative reviews can create really strong headwinds for original films with no brand recognition.” 

In its second weekend, “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” added another $6.3 million, bringing its running total to $31.6 million. The Stephen King adaptation “The Long Walk” is also estimating $6.3 million in weekend two, down only 46% from its opening. Its domestic total of $22.7 million has already exceeded its production budget of $20 million (though that sum does not account for marketing and promotion). 

Ron Howard’s 1995 hit “Apollo 13” played in 200 theatres this weekend for its 30th anniversary as well. It made an estimated $600,000. The 30th anniversary re-release of “Toy Story,” now in its second weekend, added $1.4 million. 

Next weekend there is excitement surrounding the new Paul Thomas Anderson film “One Battle After Another,” although his biggest hit to date remains the 2007 film “There Will Be Blood,” which made just over $76 million worldwide, not accounting for inflation. 

And right on its heels is a very different kind of cinema experience: AMC Theaters is hosting a release party for Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album, “ The Life of a Showgirl.” The 90-minute show, aptly titled “The Official Release Party of a Showgirl,” will play at all 540 AMC theatres in the U.S. from Oct. 3 through Oct. 5. 

Top 10 movies by domestic box office 

With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to Comscore: 

1. “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — Infinity Castle” $17.3 million

2. “Him,” $13.5 million.

3. “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” $13 million.

4. (tie) “The Long Walk,” $6.3 million.

4. (tie) “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale,” $6.3 million.

6. “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey,” $3.5 million.

7. “The Senior,” $2.8 million.

8. “Toy Story” (30th Anniversary re-release), $1.4 million.

9. “Sight & Sound Presents: NOAH – Live!” $1.4 million.

10. “Weapons,” $1.3 million.