'Halloween' scares up big box-office numbers in North America
'Halloween' registered an impressive $77.5 million in estimated ticket sales.
HOLLYWOOD (AFP) - North American moviegoers really like to be scared, and Universal gleefully accommodated them this weekend as its new release "Halloween" registered an impressive $77.5 million in estimated ticket sales, industry tracker Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.
That strong three-day number gave the film the second-best opening ever for an October, trailing only "Venom," which earlier this month booked an $80-million opening, according to HollywoodReporter.com.
Universal executives could be excused for a bit of gloating -- they produced "Halloween" for a microscopic $10 million.
"Halloween" recounts the return of a homicidal masked figure (Nick Castle) 40 years after he set off on a bloody Halloween night killing spree. Jamie Lee Curtis again stars as Laurie Strode, sole survivor of that spree.
Holding tight in second spot was Warner Bros. s musical drama "A Star Is Born," with ticket sales of $19.3 million.
The film, the third remake of a 1937 movie, was directed by Bradley Cooper. He plays a hard-drinking musician who falls in love with a young singer (Lady Gaga), only to see her star rise as his plunges.
Sony s "Venom" was not far behind, taking in $18.1 million as it approaches $500 million globally. Tom Hardy stars as a journalist who becomes the superpowerful host for an alien creature.
In fourth was another seasonal offering, Sony s "Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween," at $9.7 million. The family-friendly sequel, based on the R.L. Stine children s books, stars Wendi McLendon-Covey and Madison Iseman.
Fifth spot went to Universal s astronaut drama "First Man," at $8.6 million. The film, directed by Oscar winner Damien Chazelle and starring Ryan Gosling, recounts Neil Armstrong s historic journey to the moon in 1969.
