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Box Office Battle: 'The Nun 2' vs. 'A Haunting in Venice'

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Charles M. Hall

September 17, 2023

New York — The race for the top spot at the U.S. and Canadian box offices this weekend was incredibly close. According to studio estimates on Sunday, "The Nun 2" and "A Haunting in Venice" were virtually tied for the No. 1 position.

In its second weekend, Warner Bros.' horror sequel, "The Nun 2," raked in an impressive $14.7 million. If these numbers hold, it will secure the top spot for the second consecutive week, bringing its total domestic earnings to $56.5 million and global earnings to $158.8 million.

Close behind is "A Haunting in Venice," the latest Agatha Christie adaptation by Kenneth Branagh. Following the success of "Murder on the Orient Express" in 2017 ($352.8 million worldwide) and the less-impressive performance of "Death on the Nile" in 2022 ($137.3 million), Branagh's latest detective film opened with $14.5 million. However, it remains to be seen if this slow start spells trouble for the beloved character.

We will have to wait for the final box-office figures until Monday to get a clearer picture.

Furthermore, "A Haunting in Venice" made an additional $22.7 million internationally, making it a more cost-effective production with a budget of around $60 million.

Meanwhile, Denzel Washington's "The Equalizer 3" slipped to third place with $7.2 million this weekend. After three weeks in theaters, the film has amassed $73.7 million domestically and $132.4 million worldwide.

In fourth place, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3" earned $4.7 million in its second weekend, bringing its domestic earnings up to $18.5 million.

Stay tuned for the final results and see which movie comes out on top at the box office.

Hollywood Movies Await Fall Releases

With Hollywood recently wrapping up its appearances at the Venice, Telluride, and Toronto film festivals, this past weekend was notably quiet in movie theaters. The industry finds itself in a transitional period between the success of summer hits like "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" and the much-anticipated fall releases. However, due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, a few of these highly anticipated films, including "Dune: Part Two," have already been postponed until next year.

Sony's "Dumb Money" Makes a Strategic Release

One film set for release this fall, Sony's "Dumb Money," opted for a platform release strategy. It debuted in eight theaters over the weekend, with plans to expand its showing next weekend and then go wide on September 29th. This rollicking dramatization of the GameStop stock frenzy grossed $217,000 in its limited release, averaging approximately $27,000 per location.

"Barbie" Continues to Dominate the Box Office

"Barbie" remains a significant player in the box office scene, ranking in the top five films for the ninth consecutive weekend. Greta Gerwig's sensational film added another $4 million to its domestic total, bringing it to an impressive $625 million and its global earnings to an astonishing $1.42 billion. Another film worth noting is "Oppenheimer," which has now become the highest-grossing biopic of all time, surpassing "Bohemian Rhapsody," with an impressive total of $912.7 million.

Weekend Box Office Records

Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at theaters in the United States and Canada, as reported by Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released on Monday.