Spiral: From the Book of Saw traps the top of the weekend box office

Spiral spins into #1!

The resurrection of the SAW series made a bloody mark at the box office this weekend as SPIRAL: FROM THE BOOK OF SAW opened in first place with an estimated $8.7 million.

The Lionsgate release is the ninth chapter in the horror franchise, which had a "final" film in 2010 with SAW3D before getting resuscitated with JIGSAW in 2017. SPIRAL is the sixth SAW movie to open in first place at the box office, and the entire series, best known for its gruesome murder devices, has collected nearly one billion dollars worldwide to date.

Director Darren Lynn Bousman (SAW II-IV) returns for more devious and grisly traps, with Chris Rock, Max Minghella and Samuel L. Jackson as detectives investigating the mayhem this time.

The latest R-rated entry, originally scheduled to hit theaters in May 2020 before the pandemic derailed plans for pretty much everything, cost a reported $20 million.

Critics didn't exactly cheer the return of the twisted "torture porn" series, giving the movie an average of 39% on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 39 on Metacritic. Whirl on over to the JoBlo review HERE.

In second place was the R-rated crime thriller WRATH OF MAN with $3.7 million, dropping by 55% for a ten-day domestic total of $14.6 million. Director Guy Ritchie's heist movie with Jason Statham has worldwide total of $41.8 million.

Opening in third place was the new R-rated Angelina Jolie thriller THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD with $2.8 million.

Directed by Taylor Sheridan (WIND RIVER, the series "Yellowstone") and based on a Michael Koryta novel, the neo-Western has Jolie as a Montana firefighter protecting a boy on the run from assassins.

The Warner Bros. release, which also features Jon Bernthal, Nicholas Hoult and Aidan Gillen, simultaneously premiered on the studio's HBO Max streaming service. The movie has a worldwide total of $7.1 million.

Critics found the Jolie headliner to be a fairly standard 90s-style action-drama, giving it an average of 63% on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 58. Warm up to the JoBlo review HERE.

In fourth place was the R-rated anime DEMON SLAYER – THE MOVIE: MUGEN TRAIN with $1.77 million. After four weekends, Sony's FUNimation release has a domestic total of $42 million and a worldwide total of $477 million.

Disney's animated fantasy RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON stayed in fifth place with $1.71 million over its eleventh weekend in theaters. The PG-rated adventure has a domestic total of $46.1 million and $107 million worldwide.

In sixth place was the monster battle GODZILLA VS. KONG with $1.46 million on its seventh weekend, bringing the PG-13 Warner Bros. release to a domestic total of $95 million and $427 million, on a reported $200 million cost.

The R-rated videogame adaptation MORTAL KOMBAT was in seventh place with $1.32 million for its fourth weekend in theaters. The $55 million Warner Bros. release (no longer on HBO Max) has a domestic total of $39.9 million and $76.7 million worldwide.

In eighth place was the new PG-rated romantic drama FINDING YOU with $954,000 on 1312 screens. That was followed in ninth with the theatrical debut of director Zack Snyder's ARMY OF THE DEAD with $780,000 in 430 theaters before its Netflix release on May 21.

The R-rated action-horror movie, with Dave Bautista's mercenary leading a heavily armed team into zombie-infested Las Vegas for a heist, cost a reported $90 million.

Critics seemed somewhat satisfied with Snyder's undead epic, giving the movie a 74% average on Rotten Tomatoes and a 56 score on Metacritic. Take aim at the JoBlo review HERE.

Closing out the list was the R-rated thriller PROFILE with an opening of $670,000 in 2000 locations. The journalist mystery, which unfolds on computer screens, was directed by Timur Bekmambetov (WANTED, ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER) and first premiered at film festivals back in 2018.

Outside the chart, the supernatural thriller SEPARATION was ejected along with the Billy Crystal/Tiffany Haddish comedy-drama HERE TODAY, the action-thriller NOBODY, the horror movie THE UNHOLY and animated/live-action hybrid TOM & JERRY.

Next weekend continues the dready 2021 summer movie season with no new major releases, keeping A QUIET PLACE: PART II and Disney's CRUELLA until May 28.

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