The Conjuring: Last Rites has made a spectacular debut at the box office, raking in an impressive $83 million during its opening weekend. This remarkable achievement not only sets a new record for the Conjuring universe under Warner Bros. and New Line but also surpasses the previous benchmark of $53.8 million set by the 2018 spinoff, The Nun. Furthermore, this latest installment marks the best opening for a horror movie in 2023, exceeding the $51.6 million generated by Final Destination: Bloodlines earlier this year.
With its astounding performance, The Conjuring: Last Rites has secured the title of the third-largest opening weekend for a horror film in box office history, trailing only behind two blockbuster hits from Warner Bros.: 2017’s It, which opened with $123 million, and 2019’s It: Chapter Two, which garnered $91 million. Prior to its release, independent tracking services had estimated a debut between $50 million and $60 million. However, the overwhelming demand for a new cinematic experience, along with strong word-of-mouth and audience loyalty to the franchise, propelled ticket sales to remarkable heights.
Even though reviews for The Conjuring: Last Rites were mixed, such critiques rarely impact the horror genre's performance at the box office. Fans welcomed back beloved characters as Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga reprised their roles as paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. In this chapter, the couple embarks on a mission to eliminate a demon haunting a family's home. Although this film is marketed as the final installment within the Conjuring universe, its extraordinary box office success suggests that audiences may not be ready to say goodbye just yet.
On the international stage, The Conjuring: Last Rites amassed $104 million across 66 territories, leading to a staggering global debut of $187 million. In a stunning turn of events, these ticket sales have surpassed It: Chapter Two’s previous record of $92 million, establishing it as the largest overseas debut for a horror film. Analyst David A. Gross from Franchise Entertainment Research remarked, “This is a smash. Horror fans can’t get enough of Lorraine and Ed Warren.”
With a total of nine films, including spinoffs like Annabelle and The Nun, the Conjuring universe has solidified its status as the highest-grossing horror franchise in history, boasting a cumulative revenue of $2.3 billion. This latest installment was produced with a budget of $55 million, promising potentially lucrative profit margins. Director Michael Chaves, who helmed the previous film in the series, returned for this installment, with James Wan and Peter Safran serving as producers.
The Conjuring: Last Rites has contributed to a remarkable trend for Warner Bros., marking the seventh consecutive film to open above $40 million this year, an unprecedented feat for any Hollywood studio. Following a series of underperforming releases, including Joker: Folie a Deux and Mickey 17, Warner Bros. rebounded with strong offerings such as A Minecraft Movie and Final Destination: Bloodlines. This series of wins has alleviated the pressure on the studio as it prepares for the upcoming release of One Battle After Another, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, set to debut at the end of September.
In second place, Disney’s filmed version of Hamilton captured $10 million from 1,825 theaters in its opening weekend, a notable achievement considering that the Broadway production has been available for streaming on Disney+ since 2020. Originally marketed as a limited one-week engagement, Hamilton will remain in theaters as long as audiences continue to flock to see it. The weekend’s box office surge has provided much-needed relief to theater owners, especially after a lackluster summer season.
Despite a year-to-date box office increase of 3.8% compared to last year, comparisons to 2024 are challenging, as that year saw the release of the Warner Bros. sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which opened to $111 million. According to Paul Dergarabedian, a senior analyst at Comscore, “After a rather quiet month of August, the industry needed a boost — and The Conjuring: Last Rites has provided both a box office and a morale booster. This sets the stage for movies set to release in the coming weeks.”
Several other titles rounded out the top five at the North American box office. Weapons claimed third place with $5.3 million in its third weekend of release, bringing its domestic total to an impressive $143 million and a global tally of $251 million. Following closely were Freakier Friday and Caught Stealing, which earned $3.8 million and $3.2 million in their respective fifth and second weekends. The sequel to Freaky Friday has performed modestly, grossing $87 million in North America and $142 million worldwide, while Caught Stealing has struggled to connect with audiences, managing only $14.9 million domestically and $24.3 million globally to date.
