‘Conjuring: Last Rites’ Scares Up Second Biggest Global Horror Opening Ever With $187 Million

“The Conjuring: Last Rites” towered over the worldwide box office with $187 million, cementing by far the best start for the occult-titled franchise. It’s also the second-biggest global debut in history for a horror film, behind only 2017’s “It” with $190 million.

Ticket sales for “Last Rites,” which put early projections to shame, include a remarkable $104 million internationally and $83 million domestically. In terms of overseas returns, the latest “Conjuring” overtook 2019’s “It: Chapter Two” ($92 million) as the largest overseas debut for a horror film. Top individual territories include Mexico with $13.3 million, the United Kingdom with $8.8 million, Brazil with $7.7 million and India with $6.7 million.

“The Conjuring: Last Rites” was especially popular on Imax screens, which scared up $14.3 million globally to land as the company’s top debut ever for a September release. Domestically, the scary movie earned $9.4 million from those premium locations, ranking as Imax’s biggest opening for the horror genre.

Directed by franchise veteran Michael Chaves, “The Conjuring: Last Rites” stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, who attempt to vanquish a demon from a family’s home. James Wan, who created the property, and Peter Safran returned as producers. The “Conjuring” universe, which includes spinoffs such as “The Nun” and “Annabelle,” is the highest-grossing horror franchise in history with more than $2.3 billion.

This entry cost $55 million to produce and has already become the latest theatrical winner for Warner Bros. following a remarkable streak of “A Minecraft Movie,” “Sinners,” “Final Destination Bloodlines,” “F1: The Movie” (which the studio distributed for Apple), “Superman” and “Weapons.” The studio’s rebound comes after a downtrodden stretch with commercial losers like “Joker: Folie a Deux,” “Mickey 17,” and “The Alto Knights.”

Elsewhere at the box office, “Weapons” crossed the $250 million mark globally with $108 million from international markets and $143 million from North America. Those are impressive returns for original horror, and even better — they’ll make for scary-good profit margins for Warner Bros. since the sleeper hit carries a modest $38 million price tag.