The Insidious sequel 'Insidious: Chapter 2' snagged the top spot at the North American box office after raking a massive $41 million opening take, Yahoo! reported Sunday.
The horror sequel spirited itself into the top place of the box office after gaining a massive $41 million opening take, three times higher than its 2010 original opening take, North American box office industry estimates showed.
Starring Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson as a haunted husband and wife, the film is a follow up to its successful 2010 original flick, though the former received poorer reviews.
Debuting on Friday the 13th, moviegoers reportedly had an appetite for fright securing 'Insidious: Chapter 2' the highest September opening day ever, said box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Hollywood.com.
"It was a perfect release date for this movie," Dergarabedian said. "James Wan has cracked the code on making great horror movies."
Yahoo! reported that director James Wan had another first-place opener last summer with 'The Conjuring,' another horror flick starring 'Insidious' star, Patrick Wilson.
Jim Orr, FilmDistrict's president of distribution, said 'Insidious Chapter 2' ticket sales nearly doubled studio expectations.
"It's great to be in business with Blumhouse Productions and James Wan," Orr said. "They're just ridiculously talented and delivered a phenomenal film."
Next to the 'Insidious' sequel is Relativity Media's 'The Family' starring Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer as a mafia family in witness protection, which opened with $14.5 million, Exhibitor Relations, industry tracker, stated.
Next on the list is Vin Diesel's 'Riddick' which landed top spot last week with over $7 million.
Meanwhile, in fourth place is The Weinstein Co.'s 'Le Daniels' The Butler' which has remained strong, taking in $5.6 million in its fourth week and finishing with a $100 million mark in North American ticket sales.
'We're the Millers' starring Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis rounded on the fifth place, earing $5.4 million. The Warner Bros. raunchy adult comedy features drug smugglers posing as a suburban family.
"These movies have legs week after week, and that's bolstering the entire marketplace," Dergarabedian said. "If you just have the brand-new movies doing well and the holdovers are dropping like rocks, then you have a problem."
Hollywood.com presented the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, and they are shown below:
1. "Insidious: Chapter 2," $41 million ($5 million international).
2. "The Family," $14.5 million.
3. "Riddick," $7 million ($9.6 million international).
4. "Lee Daniels' The Butler," $5.58 million ($2.5 million international).
5. "We're the Millers," $5.4 million ($9 million international).
6. "Instructions Not Included," $4.25 million.
7. "Planes," $3.06 million ($10.7 million international).
8. "One Direction: This Is Us," $2.4 million.
9. "Elysium," $2.05 million ($8.5 million international).
10. "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters," $1.82 million ($7.8 million international).
Final domestic figures will be released on Monday, the industry tracker stated.
