‘Halloween Ends’ wins box office, but renews streaming debate
By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer
No matter how you look at the numbers, “Halloween Ends” had a good opening weekend.
Touted as the final showdown between Laurie Strode and Michael Myers, the slasher pic earned $41.3 million in ticket sales from 3,901 theaters in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday. It’s the first film to open higher than $40 million since “Nope” debuted in July and it surpassed its production budget, which has been reported to be between $20 and $30 million. Including international showings, it boasts a global total of $58.4 million.
“We are extraordinarily excited that Blumhouse once again delivered an incredible film and another No. 1 opening,” said Jim Orr, Universal’s head of domestic distribution. “Jamie Lee Curtis had audiences across North America engaged and terrified.”
The film also renewed an evergreen debate about day-and-date movie releases and some in Hollywood are wondering whether it could have been even bigger if it hadn’t debuted simultaneously on Peacock, NBC Universal’s streaming service.
Going into the weekend, some analysts had pegged “Halloween Ends” for an opening in the $50 to $55 million range. “Halloween Kills,” the previous installment in the David Gordon Green-directed “Halloween” trilogy, opened day-and-date last year and still grossed $49 million on opening weekend.
Read the full breakdown of last week’s box office hits here:
15 must-watch Halloween movies streaming on Hulu in 2022
This animated PG movie starring Steve Buscemi and Maggie Gyllenhaal follows a trio of preteens who discover a terrifying secret about the house across the street. Very young children might find certain scenes scary, but older children will have no problem enjoying this movie.
This animated PG movie starring Steve Buscemi and Maggie Gyllenhaal follows a trio of preteens who discover a terrifying secret about the house across the street. Very young children might find certain scenes scary, but older children will have no problem enjoying this movie.
