Halloween Kills scores best debut for a horror film during the pandemic

Halloween Kills
(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Michael Myers is killing it at the box office.

Halloween Kills, the new installment in the long-running slasher franchise, took in $50.4 million at the domestic box office this weekend, Variety reports. That came in below the $76 million, pre-pandemic debut of the film's 2018 predecessor. But it was still considered a strong start for the horror sequel, especially given it's also available to stream on Peacock at no additional charge to subscribers.

This was the latest 2021 release that drove audiences out to theaters even though there was the option to watch the movie at home, with others including Godzilla vs. Kong and Black Widow. It was also the latest horror film to perform well at the box office in 2021, and Deadline notes Halloween Kills had the best three-day domestic debut of any horror movie released during the pandemic. That record was previously held by A Quiet Place Part II, which opened to $47.5 million over three days in May. Halloween Kills also scored the best pandemic opening for an R-rated movie, above the DC film The Suicide Squad.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Though it's the 12th film in the Halloween series, Halloween Kills serves as the second chapter in a revived version of the franchise, which picks up 40 years after the original 1978 movie but ignores all prior sequels. Reviews for Kills were more lukewarm than for the 2018 installment, and some fans expressed disappointment that Jamie Lee Curtis' Laurie Strode has a smaller role this time, as the movie shifts focus to returning characters from the 1978 classic. But Curtis is set to return for a third film that will apparently conclude this era of the series, Halloween Ends, and hits theaters in October 2022.

After Halloween Kills, another test of how a simultaneous streaming release can affect a film's box office potential will come next weekend, when the sci-fi epic Dune hits both theaters and HBO Max.

To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.