THE CONJURING: LAST RITES Blasts to $83 Million Opening

[AndyDursin]

The haunting depicted in this one was portrayed in the excellent Fox 1991 TV movie THE HAUNTED with Sally Kirkland and Jeffrey DeMunn (it even featured the Warrens as side characters). That never generated a home video release AFAIK but it can be found on Youtube, and apparently inspired James Wan to make THE CONJURING in the first place.

Here's hoping -- unlike the LAST Conjuring entry -- that this picture does it justice. Reviews are better than adequate -- many noting it's the best looking of these since the original -- which certainly I'd take for a 4th (and final?) entry in a series that's been pillaged over with spin-offs at this rate. The 3rd picture was COVID-ravaged and lousy, and out of sync with the first two.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/simonthomp ... nd-scares/



Here's the only copy of THE HAUNTED I could muster:

[John Johnson]

The haunting depicted in this one was portrayed in the excellent Fox 1991 TV movie THE HAUNTED with Sally Kirkland and Jeffrey DeMunn (it even featured the Warrens as side characters). That never generated a home video release AFAIK but it can be found on Youtube, and apparently inspired James Wan to make THE CONJURING in the first place.

Here's hoping -- unlike the LAST Conjuring entry -- that this picture does it justice. Reviews are better than adequate -- many noting it's the best looking of these since the original -- which certainly I'd take for a 4th (and final?) entry in a series that's been pillaged over with spin-offs at this rate. The 3rd picture was COVID-ravaged and lousy, and out of sync with the first two.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/simonthomp ... nd-scares/



Here's the only copy of THE HAUNTED I could muster:

I was never a fan of the third film. Hopefully this last entry before the tv series comes along, will put right what was wrong with the third film. Assuming of course there is a tv series now. I'd be happy if they just continued with the films, which I think are great fun. I don't really go for modern horror films, but there was something about the Conjuring franchise that drew me.

[AndyDursin]

Huge Thursday night preview number...franchise best.

https://deadline.com/2025/09/box-office ... 236508461/

[Monterey Jack]

WB is now the first studio EVER to have seven consecutive movies open at $40 million or more. And two of those have been original screenplays (Sinners, Weapons).

[AndyDursin]

Year's best horror opener and a franchise record:

https://deadline.com/2025/09/box-office ... 236508461/

It's a huge number considering how worn-out the franchise is -- but it's also a stat fueled by the fact that the marketplace is dead and there's no other competition. 10 years ago there would be one or two other nationwide releases opposite it.

Still it shows there's a market for horror movies, people want to see them in theaters so expect more and more of those as it's one of the only reliable genres there is.

[AndyDursin]

$83 mil! Wow

[Monterey Jack]

INSANE overperformance for this, considering the last one made only about $10 million more than this in total.

[AndyDursin]

Remember also that 3rd one was a covid affected title that came out on HBO Max on the same day I believe also. Pretty much have to toss that out as a point of comparison.

Definite overperformance but, again, it shows how its turned into a boom or bust marketplace with a single title basically having an open runway to a big opening since nobody is releasing 2 major releases simultaneously pretty much.

Warner has also staked out this post Labor Day weekend as a big one for these films with IT having done well. That kind of "back to school" slot brings in big college audiences now and theyve done a good job cultivating it as such.