“Halloween Kills” may be available to watch at home. But the latest installment in the Michael Myers saga is making a killing. At the North American box office in its first weekend in theaters. The David Gordon Green-directed horror scared up $50.4 million from 3,705 locations, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Universal’s “Halloween Kills” far surpassed expectations. The film pegged for a more conservative debut in the $30 million range. It also easily bested its main competition. Included the James Bond pic “No Time to Die,” in its second weekend. And Ridley Scott’s medieval epic “The Last Duel.” Both are playing exclusively in theaters.
The film picks up where Green’s 2018 “Halloween” left off. On the same bloody night, with Jamie Lee Curtis back as Laurie Strode. Some were surprised when the studio made the decision to release “Halloween Kills” simultaneously in theaters and on NBC Universal’s Peacock for premium subscribers, but the day-and-date strategy does not seem to have hurt its box office haul.
The 2018 “Halloween” was a massive hit that opened to $76.2 million and went on to gross north of $256 million against a $10 million budget. And there are plans for a third that will close out the modern Michael Myers trilogy.
Next week Warner Bros.’ big-budget adaptation of “Dune” opens in theaters and on HBO Max, as does Disney’s “Ron’s Gone Wrong” and Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch.”