Leave it to Ed and Lorraine Warren to scare away whatever has been bedeviling the box office.
“The Conjuring: Last Rites,” the ninth chapter in a horror movie series loosely based on the Warrens, a colorful real-life couple, and their famed adventures as paranormal sleuths, sold an estimated $83 million in tickets in the United States and Canada from Thursday night through Sunday — roughly 65 percent more than analysts had predicted before its release.
Overseas, “Last Rites” arrived to an outstanding $104 million in ticket sales, for a worldwide opening total of $187 million, according to Comscore, which compiles box office data. The film cost New Line Cinema, a Warner Bros. division, roughly $55 million to make, not including marketing.
The stronger-than-expected results highlighted the franchise management expertise of New Line and the “Conjuring” producers, notably Peter Safran. Their adroit handling of the series has drawn comparisons to the manner in which Marvel Studios painstakingly built an interconnected “universe” of superhero films over 11 years, culminating in a megawatt finale, “Avengers: Endgame,” in 2019.
“Last Rites” was similarly marketed as an ending (although plans to expand the franchise in new ways — without the lead actors, Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson — are already well underway behind the scenes).
“We built this story around the Warrens for a dozen years, and it allowed audiences to become truly attached to Ed and Lorraine,” Mr. Safran said in a text message. “The ‘finale’ aspect definitely drew in an even wider swath of the audience than was anticipated.”
“Last Rites” unexpectedly jump-started the box office after a slower summer than Hollywood had anticipated. Multiplexes in North America had their worst summer since 1981, after adjusting for inflation and excluding the Covid pandemic years, when many theaters were closed for long periods.
Some box office analysts blamed studios for serving up a tepid slate of sequels, reboots, remakes and spinoffs. Others pointed to changes in audience behavior: People are increasingly willing to wait a few weeks for films to appear on a streaming service or digital rental platform instead of enduring the hassle and expense of visiting a theater.
Marketing difficulties may have also contributed to sluggish ticket sales. Reaching a mass audience with ads for new movies has become harder, a result of media fragmentation.
Some studios have been more successful than others in navigating these challenges. Warner Bros. and its various divisions, for instance, have now delivered seven No. 1 movies in a row. After struggling early in the year, Warner Bros. flickered to life in April with “A Minecraft Movie,” which was followed by “Sinners,” “Final Destination: Bloodlines,” “F1: The Movie,” “Superman,” “Weapons” and now “Last Rites.”
“All of this was part of executing on a strategy of a diverse slate,” Pam Abdy, co-chair of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, said in a phone interview. She gave a shout out in particular to New Line, which is run by Richard Brenner, for “leaning in to I.P. that has worked before,” a reference to intellectual property, “and trying to reinvigorate it a little bit.” (New Line was also behind “Final Destination: Bloodlines,” the sixth chapter in a series.)
With an estimated $83 million in domestic ticket sales, “Last Rites” set an opening-weekend record for the “Conjuring” series, even when adjusting for inflation. The previous record was set by an installment called “The Nun,” which arrived to an adjusted $70 million in 2018.
“We’re all giddy,” Ms. Abdy said with a laugh. “I’ve been tap dancing through my house a little bit.”
Brooks Barnes covers all things Hollywood. He joined The Times in 2007 and previously worked at The Wall Street Journal.
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