Let the haunting begin.
Jolting the sleepy box office back to life as fall gets underway, New Line’s The Conjuring: Last Rites scared up a franchise-best $8.5 million in Thursday previews in yet another win for the Warner Bros. film empire. That’s also the biggest franchise gross of the year to date for a horror film after passing up the $5.8 million earned in previews by Sony’s 28 Years Later.
The Conjuring: Last Rites stars Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson in their final turn as real-life paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed Lorraine, but that doesn’t mean the franchise is going anywhere. Last Rites is being billed as the ninth and final title in Phase One of The Conjuring Universe, which has become the top-grossing horror franchise in box office history after collecting more than $2.3 billion in global ticket sales. Next up is Phase Two.
Directed by series regular Michael Chaves, Last Rites — a sequel to The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me to Do It — is based on the Warrens’ investigation of the Smurl haunting in Pennsylvania. Mia Tomlinson and Ben Hardy also star, with Atomic Monster’s James Wan and DC Studios co-chief Peter Safran returning to produce.
Last Rites is headed for a domestic debut that could approach or cross $50 million, although New Line and parent studio Warners are being more cautious and sticking with $35 million. In 2013, the very first Conjuring movie opened to $41 million domestically. No subsequent franchise title has been able to topple that record, although many are betting on Last Rites to do just that.
Overseas, the movie is expected to open to another $50 million from more than 60 markets against a net production budget of $55 million before marketing.
Critics haven’t been so kind to the new Conjuring movie — the same could be said for most installments — but early audience reaction is promising.