(Bloomberg) -- “Halloween Kills,” the latest installment in the long-running horror series, opened as the top film in North America, knocking the James Bond movie “No Time to Die” from the lead after just one weekend.

  • “Halloween Kills,” from Comcast Corp.’s Universal Pictures, made $50.4 million, according to Comscore’s estimate. Boxoffice Pro had forecast a $48 million North American opening for the film, while the studio had projected $47.5 million at the start of the weekend.
  • “No Time to Die,” from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Eon Productions, took in $24.3 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters, Comscore Inc. estimated Sunday. It was expected to generate $25 million.

 

Key Insights

  • Three high-profile movies -- “No Time to Die,” “Halloween Kills” and Sony’s “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” -- competed for the dollars of Americans willing to go to the cinemas amid a pandemic. It’s one of the busiest stretches since Covid-prompted lockdowns eased. They’ll be joined at the end of this week by “Dune,” a big-budget film from AT&T Inc.’s Warner Bros.
  • “Halloween Kills” features Jamie Lee Curtis and Judy Greer, as well as Anthony Michael Hall. About 45% of critics recommended the movie, according to Rotten Tomatoes. Universal said it was the highest-grossing opening weekend for a film that was released simultaneously in theaters and online. The movie is available on the premium version of Comcast Corp.’s Peacock streaming service.
  • The results for “No Time to Die” suggest younger people, who favor horror movies, may be more inclined to return to theaters than older Bond fans. The film made $55.2 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters in its first weekend, below the $84 million forecast by Boxoffice Pro.
  • Another wide release that opened Friday was Walt Disney Co.’s “The Last Duel,” directed by Oscar nominee Ridley Scott; it brought in $4.82 million. The film stars Matt Damon, Adam Driver and Ben Affleck in a story about two knights and friends in the 1300s who are forced to fight each other. About 87% of critics recommended the film, per Rotten Tomatoes.

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  • See the schedule for upcoming releases.
  • See Boxoffice Pro’s long-range forecast.

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