It looks like Ouija 2: Origin of Evil won’t be capturing the #1 spot like its predecessor did in 2014. And it’s got a lot more competition at the box office than Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. There were two horror debuts this Friday: Ouija 2: Origin of Evil and so bad it’s horrific, sixth sequel Boo! A Madea Halloween. Why do people still seek out these Tyler Perry movies? Seriously. As of Sunday morning, these three titles are marked to be the top three films when we get to the all important Friday week end chart on October 28. Box Office Mojo has preliminary numbers and here’s how Ouija is fairing against Madea.
Despite being released in only 2,260 – as opposed to Ouija‘s 3,168 – Madea is running away with the #2 spot with a weekend gross of about $17,300,000 while Ouija takes the #3 spot with $16,000,000. They’re both a good distance behind Jack Reacher, which should take the #1 spot by week’s end. If we examine gross and lucrivity, Madea was produced by Lionsgate on a budget of $30,000,000 with promotional costs factored in. That means Tyler Perry’s film will make about half of its overall cost by the end of this weekend; where-as Ouija was was produced by Universal for $19,000,000 and will all but have covered their entire budget by mid-week.
It’s a sad day for horror fans, indeed, but I don’t think expectations for Ouija: Origins of Evil were ever that high to begin with. At least the new Tom Cruise movie saves us from Madea opening at #1 and bringing in the apocalypse.
Top 5 Over the Weekend (Box Office Mojo Numbers):
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (3,780 theaters) – $19.0 M
Boo! A Madea Halloween (2,260 theaters) – $17.3 M
Ouija: Origin of Evil (3,168 theaters) – $16.0 M
The Accountant (3,332 theaters) – $13.5 M
The Girl on the Train (3,089 theaters) – $6.9 M
