- Lethal Lewandowski helps Barca rout Sevilla, Atletico triumph
- Leclerc wins US Grand Prix as Norris, Verstappen clash
- Moldovans vote 'no' in referendum on joining EU: partial results
- Lewandowski powers five-star Barca to Sevilla rout
- Lions hand Vikings first loss, Packers down Texans
- In escalation, Israel bombs Hezbollah-linked finance group
- Martinez keeps Inter on Napoli's tail with Roma winner
- Marseille return to form with Montpellier thrashing
- Lula cancels trip to summit in Russia after injuring head
- Cuba girds for Hurricane Oscar with electricity supply still down
- Harris celebrates birthday at Georgia churches as Trump serves McDonald's
- One dead as flooding hits Italy's northeast flatlands
- Browns quarterback Watson exits with Achilles tendon injury
- Liverpool 'showed up' to beat Chelsea challenge: Slot
- 'Once in a lifetime' Kerr leads New Zealand to Women's T20 World Cup triumph
- Pope names 14 new saints, including martyrs of Damascus
- Malinin captures third straight Skate America crown
- Sri Lanka triumph in rain-affected first ODI against West Indies
- Moldovans flock to vote in key tests on EU future
- Liverpool pass Chelsea test to reclaim Premier League top spot
- Kerr leads New Zealand to maiden Women's T20 World Cup triumph
- Tens of thousands rally in Georgia for EU ahead of pivotal vote
- UN biodiversity summit opens under guerrilla threat in Colombia
- 'Smile 2' scares up the biggest audiences in N.American theaters
- 'I deserved this,' says Bautista Agut after 12th career title
- Thousands protest in Spain's Canary Islands against mass tourism
- Lavreysen reaps 16th gold at track cycling worlds
- Sorloth double helps Atletico beat Leganes
- Libyan held in Germany over suspected Israel embassy plot
- Leverkusen's Boniface 'slightly injured' in car accident
- New Zealand post 158-5 against South Africa in Women's T20 World Cup final
- Teen defender Rothe lifts Union past struggling Holstein Kiel
- Fans gather to mourn Liam Payne's death at UK and other vigils
- Stones bags controversial winner as Man City survive Wolves scare
- Eight-storey building collapses in Kenyan capital
- Tributes pour in for Olympic champion Chris Hoy after terminal cancer revelation
- Oil-rich Iraqi Kurdistan votes, shadowed by economic struggles
- Moldova votes on EU future amid fears of Russian meddling
- With little electricity, Cuba girds for a hurricane
- Napoli keep Serie A lead with win at Empoli
- Tanak triumphs to set up world rally title decider in Japan
- Nepal protesters clash with police over politician's fraud charges
- Leverkusen's Boniface only 'slightly injured' after car accident
- Green holds off Boutier surge to win LPGA title in South Korea
- Israel escalates Beirut bombing, accused of killing 73 in Gaza strike
- Young, Ravindra guide New Zealand to first win in India for 36 years
- New Zealand record first Test win in India for 36 years
- Harris turns 60, but prefers to talk about Trump's age
- Putin seeks to rival Western power with high-profile summit
- Hurricane set to hit Cuba amid national blackout
'Smile 2' scares up the biggest audiences in N.American theaters
Paramount's new horror film "Smile 2" has surpassed its successful predecessor, taking in an estimated $23 million in North American theaters this weekend, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.
"This is an excellent opening for the second episode in a horror series," said analyst David A. Gross, who noted that horror sequels tend to earn a fourth less than the originals.
The first "Smile," also directed by horror-master Parker Finn, made $22.6 million when it opened in 2022 and ultimately grossed $217 million worldwide.
"Smile 2" again tells the story of a grim curse, passed from one victim to the next, that afflicts a troubled pop star (Naomi Scott).
Universal and DreamWorks Animation's "The Wild Robot," about a dispassionate mechanical being, stranded on an island, having to cope with (and care for) fuzzy woodland creatures, placed second again with $10.1 million, part of what Gross said has become a welcome industry trend.
"With 'Inside Out 2' breaking records and 'Despicable Me 4' finishing sensationally well, 2024 has gone from a good year for family films to an outstanding year," Gross said. "Family moviegoing has come all the way back after the pandemic and is in very good health now."
Horror film "Terrifier 3," from indie studio Cineverse and Icon Events, earned $9.3 million for the Friday-through-Sunday period. David Howard Thornton again plays the psychopathic Art the Clown.
In fourth place again, and enjoying a nice run in its seventh weekend out, was Warner Bros.' "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice," at $5 million. Michael Keaton again plays the creepily hilarious title character.
Fifth place went to "We Live in Time," a weepy romantic drama from StudioCanal, at $4.2 million. Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh star in what Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian called a "breakout indie hit" with "a hugely appealing cast (and) a funny, moving and romantic plot."
Rounding out the top 10 were:
"Joker: Folie a Deux" ($2.2 million)
"Piece by Piece" ($2.1 million)
"Transformers One" ($2 million)
"Saturday Night" ($1.8 million)
"Nightmare Before Christmas (reissue)" ($1.1 million)
I.Meyer--BTB