Moviegoers were seeking frights on Thursday night and they got it with The Nun, which scored a franchise-best launch in Thursday night previews.
The horror film grossed $5.4 million in Thursday night previews, which easily makes it a record for a Conjuring universe Thursday night preview killing Annabelle: Creation‘s $4 million. The great start could possibly allow it to top $50 million in its opening that some bold tracking has predicted. In my box office predictions, I had it coming in with about $45 million.
Genre films can sometimes be very frontloaded so we will have to see how Friday plays out. The $4 million that Annabelle: Creation grossed in Thursday night previews represented about 27% of its opening day on Friday last year.
Peppermint made around $800,000 at 2,340 locations last night in Thursday night previews. The Jennifer Garner film expands to 2,980 today and the Thursday preview could keep it on pace for the $13-16 million it had been tracking at before the weekend. The film tops the previews of other R-rated action pics, Death Wish, ($650,000) as well as STX’s The Foreigner ($775,000)
Check back tomorrow for the early Friday numbers!
