UPDATED: The latest installment in the “Conjuring Universe” doesn’t open until Friday, but “The Nun” is already anticipating a scary-good start.
Warner Bros. supernatural thriller is currently outpacing all previous “Conjuring” movies combined in Fandango‘s advanced sales, the ticketing company reported on Wednesday. And as horror remains hot at the box office, the fifth title in the “Conjuring” franchise is also dominating massive hits “Get Out” and “A Quiet Place” in presales at the same point in those film’s sales cycles, according to Fandango. That doesn’t necessarily mean it will have the same legs as those titles, which both far exceeded expectations, though it does signal positive early buzz.
“The ‘Conjuring Universe’ of horror movies is one of the most popular cinematic universes outside the superhero genre,” Fandango managing editor Erik Davis said. “Moviegoers can’t get enough of the series’ smart writing and memorable scares. ‘The Nun’ is wildly anticipated because it gives a beloved villain her own movie after being only glimpsed at in previous films.”
“The Nun,” which bows on Sept. 7, is heading for an opening weekend between $36 million to $45 million, though estimates show it could earn more than $50 million when it launches in over 3,700 venues. The first installment in the series, 2013’s “The Conjuring,” currently ranks as the best opening in the series with $41.8 million. The first four movies — “The Conjuring,” “Annabelle,” “The Conjuring 2,” and “Annabelle: Creation” — have amassed over $1.1 billion worldwide.
Popular on Variety
The upcoming iteration is a spinoff of “The Conjuring 2.” Corin Hardy directed the film, which stars Demian Bichir and Taissa Farmiga. Set in Romania in the 1950s, Bichir and Farmiga portray a Catholic priest and a novice who investigate an unholy secret at the Vatican.
