Summary Horror sequel ‘Insidious: Chapter 2’ spirited itself into the top slot at North American box office.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Moviegoers had an appetite for fright this weekend, sending "Insidious: Chapter 2" to the top of the box office.
The haunted-house horror sequel debuted in first place with $41 million, more than tripling the opening take of the 2010 original.
Debuting on Friday the 13th, FilmDistrict s "Insidious: Chapter 2" scored the highest September opening day ever, said box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Hollywood.com.
"It was a perfect release date for this movie," he said. "James Wan has cracked the code on making great horror movies."
The Australian director had another first-place opener earlier this summer with the "The Conjuring," another haunted-house thriller starring Patrick Wilson. Wilson returns in "Insidious 2," playing a husband and father with some scary personal baggage.
FilmDistrict s president of distribution, Jim Orr, said the film s ticket sales nearly doubled studio expectations.
"It s great to be in business with Blumhouse Productions and James Wan," he said. "They re just ridiculously talented and delivered a phenomenal film."
Another newcomer, Relativity Media s Robert De Niro-Michelle Pfeiffer crime caper "The Family," opened in second place with $14.5 million. That bumped last week s champ, "Riddick," to third.
The Weinstein Co. s "Lee Daniels The Butler" continued its strong performance with a fourth-place finish that saw North American ticket sales cross the $100 million mark.
The Jennifer Aniston-Jason Sudeikis Warner Bros. road-trip comedy "We re the Millers" rounded out the top five.
Both "The Butler" and "We re the Millers" have been in theaters for more than a month, contributing to a hearty box-office that s been up the past four consecutive weeks after a record-breaking summer season.
"These movies have legs week after week, and that s bolstering the entire marketplace," Dergarabedian said. "If you just have the brand-new movies doing well and the holdovers are dropping like rocks, then you have a problem."
