‘Halloween’ Could Scare Up $65 Million-Plus At The Box Office This Weekend
Michael Myers is returning to theaters this weekend, and audiences are ready.Halloweenbox office tracking indicates the latest entry in the ever-changing horror series is headed to a $65 million-plus opening weekend, making it an all-time-franchise best. Don’t be surprised if a sequel is officially announced by Monday.
It’s going to be a very happyHalloweenindeed.Varietyis reporting thatDavid Gordon Green’s sequel/reboot ofJohn Carpenter’s classic is on its way to a “massive opening in the $57 million to $65 million range. The studio is cautiously anticipating a $50 million bow, though some industry analysts think it could rocket past $70 million when it debuts in 3,928 theaters.” Should that happen, this will be the best opening weekend for aHalloweenfilm…ever. The current record holder is Rob Zombie’s 2007Halloween, which opened with $26,362,367.
This also indicates thatHalloweenwill do whatFirst Mancould not: dethroneVenomfrom the top of the box office. While the Tom HardySpider-Manspin-off remained #1 last weekend, it also suffered a 70% drop from its opening. That trend will likely continue, putting Michael Myers at the top of the box office for the first time in years.
When a horror film opens this big, it usually means one thing: sequels. An official follow-up to Green’sHalloweenhas yet to be announced, but co-writer Danny McBride has confirmed they have an idea for a sequel. That said, there are rumors that a sequel is indeedalready in the works, and Green and McBride willnotbe returning. I’m not 100% sure what’s going on here, but I am sure an official sequel announcement will come sooner rather than later. I wouldn’t be surprised if it comes as soon as next week.
In the newHalloween,Jamie Lee Curtisreturns as Laurie Strode, the sole survivor of Michael Myers' original rampage. Laurie has waited for 40 years for Michael to return, alienating her entire family with her survivalist mentality. Sure enough, Michaeldoeshead back to Haddonfield, butcher knife at the ready. The masked killer cuts a swath of death across town as he heads towards Laurie. But this time, she’s ready for him.
I quite enjoyedHalloween. It’s nowhere near as great as Crpenter’s original, but it’s an exciting, scary and highly entertaining love letter to the series as a whole, and boasts a great performance from Curtis. I’m thrilled at the idea of the new film being back at the top of the box office, making Curtis a box office star yet again.
