‘Candyman’ cuts way toward No. 1 spot at the North American box office

“Candyman” snared the top spot at the North American box office. The Universal Pictures film featuring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II amazingly got in more than $22.3 million through a quiet weekend notwithstanding worries over the delta variant. The R-rated horror movie, co-written by Jordan Peele and directed by Nia DaCosta, dives into a metropolitan legend that accepts if somebody rehashes “Candyman” five times before a mirror, that individual would summon the hook-handed killer.

The sequel is a follow-up to the original “Candyman” in 1992. The new film hopes to net $5.23 million out of 51 international markets.

“It was a quiet weekend, but it was another checkmark in the success column for horror,” Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore.

“Candyman” claimed No. 1 over the second-place “Free Guy,” which scored first place at the box office the past two weekends. The action-comedy featuring Ryan Reynolds as a background character in a video game procured more than $13.5 million.

After “Free Guy,” the numbers start to considerably drop.

Dergarabedian said customers are being extremely specific in what they do outside of their homes, especially with regards to heading into theaters.

“When you have brand new movies, if they are of a genre that people love like horror or have star like Ryan Reynolds and a movie that’s perceived to be great, people want to go out to see them,” he said. “The other films that are either available on streaming and/or not getting the greatest buzz or reviews are going to drop by the wayside. It’s just the nature of this marketplace.”

In third place, “PAW Patrol” pulled in $6.6 million – a 50% dip from the film’s opening weekend number. The Paramount film, because of the famous children’s TV show, has earned more than $24 million.

“Jungle Cruise” set fourth with $5 million, helping the Disney action-adventure film featuring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt eclipse the $100 million mark in North America during a five-week span.

“Don’t Breathe 2” procured $2.8 million, “Respect” featuring Jennifer Hudson acquired $2.2 million, and “The Suicide Squad” counted simply more than $2 million.

In the interim, “The Protege” with Michael Keaton and Maggie Q pulled in $1.6 million, and “The Night House” had $1.2 million.

“Black Widow” scarcely held onto the tenth spot with $855,000. In about two months, the Marvel film featuring Scarlett Johansson has amassed more than $181.5 million in North America.

Dergarabedian accepts the movies could experience some developing pains in the coming weeks.

“You’re going to have a very top-heavy box office and particularly for films that are available on streaming,” he said. “If they’re not totally buzzworthy, then people will just stay at home and check them out there.

“If those movies at the top are generating great word of mouth and goodwill with audiences toward going to the movie theater, that’s good for the business long term,” Dergarabedian said.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, as per Comscore. Where accessible, the most recent international numbers for Friday through Sunday are additionally included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. “Candyman,” $22.3 million ($5.2 million international).
2. “Free Guy,” $13.5 million ($37.3 million international).
3. “PAW Patrol,” $6.6 million ($10.3 million international).
4. “Jungle Cruise,” $5 million ($2.7 million international).
5. “Don’t Breathe 2,” $2.8 million ($1.6 million international).
6. “Respect,” $2.2 million.
7. “The Suicide Squad,” $2 million ($4.6 million international).
8. “The Protege,” $1,6 million.
9. “The Night House,” $1.2 million.
10. “Black Widow,” $855,000.