Even with fairly negative reviews, The Nun is scaring up an impressive opening weekend at the box office. The horror film is estimated to bring in a whopping $50 million, a franchise best for The Conjuring universe. New Line’s The Nun earned an estimated $21.1 million on Friday, adding to its solid Thursday night haul of $5.4 million. The gothic horror earned $20.2 million from 60 international markets Friday, bringing the overseas haul to $32.1 million.
Social media analyst RelishMix says that The Nun has a robust social media reach near 147 million across Facebook, YouTube views, Twitter and Instagram. He adds that is “well above the usual horror movie, which scores a 103.2M SMU by opening week.” Add that with the impressive campaign starting with Scare Diego last year at San Diego Comic-Con, and you can see why The Nun is doing so well. Many thought it would be dead on arrival due to the poor critical reception and a C from CinemScore, but the fanbase for this universe is far too strong.
SEE ALSO: Read our review of The Nun here
One of the most interesting notes about this estimated box office win is it will be the fifth No. 1 consecutive box office weekend for Warner Bros. This follows successful openings for shark flick The Meg and rom-com Crazy Rich Asians. Both of those films are still doing solidly with The Meg is expected to bring in another $5 million and Crazy Rich Asians fighting Peppermint for second place.
When a young nun at a cloistered abbey in Romania takes her own life, a priest with a haunted past and a novitiate on the threshold of her final vows are sent by the Vatican to investigate. Together they uncover the order’s unholy secret. Risking not only their lives but their faith and their very souls, they confront a malevolent force in the form of the same demonic nun that first terrorized audiences in The Conjuring 2, as the abbey becomes a horrific battleground between the living and the damned.
The Nun stars Oscar-nominated Demian Bichir (A Better Life) as Father Burke, Taissa Farmiga (American Horror Story) as Sister Irene, Jonas Bloquet (Elle) as local villager Frenchie, Charlotte Hope (Game of Thrones) as the abbey’s Sister Victoria, Ingrid Bisu (Toni Erdmann) as Sister Oana, and Bonnie Aarons, reprising her Conjuring 2 role as Valak.
Originally published September 8, 2018. Updated March 19, 2020.
