Early tracking predicts The Nun will scare up a $30+ million opening weekend

August 17th 2018, 10:18am

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

The movies in THE CONJURING universe have been doing gangbusters business over the last five years with three of the four crossing $100 million domestically (ANNABELLE 1 came up short at $84 million). Audiences have proven they’ll pay top dollar to watch horror movies about traditionally unnerving things, such as haunted houses and creepy dolls in Victorian dress. We can add demon nuns to the list when THE NUN arrives September 7, and right now estimates suggest the latest CONJURING entry will scare up the same kind of business as its predecessors.

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The current projections (via Variety) indicate the movie is on track for a fantastic $32 million opening, with the possibility of going to about $37 million. Coming in on the low end of those predictions would give it the lowest opening of the series, but not by much. ANNABELLE pulled in about $35 million back in 2014, while last year’s ANNABELLE: CREATION made $38 million, and both of the main CONJURING movies pulled in $41 million and $40 million, respectively. These numbers pale in comparison to last year's $123 million opening for IT, but come on, nothing beats demon clowns.

So far promotion has garnered a lot of interest thanks to a batch of unsettling and dark trailers and teasers (including a pulled trickery ad), all putting the horrific title baddie front and center. Word out of Scare Diego was solid, with people who saw some footage at last month saying it embraces the gothic atmosphere with horrifying effects. BoxOffice.com thinks the film will perform a bit better than the above predictions on opening weekend, earning as high as $40 million.

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Given how much bolder and in-your-face-scary THE NUN looks I'd say it has a good shot at coming out near the higher end of expectations. These movies are big business now and as long as it delivers in the scares people will spread the word and give it serious legs. Like Pennywise and, to a lesser extent, Annabelle, The Nun is the nightmarish figure at the center of promotion that's likely to drive in audiences looking for a scare, and she likely won't disappoint.

THE NUN arrives September 7.