According to Variety, Halloween Ends earned $41.3 million in its first weekend to take first place at the domestic box office.
The most recent entry in the Halloween series, billed as the decisive confrontation between Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode and Michael Myers, is the first movie to open over $40 million since Jordan Peele’s Nope. The sequel to last year’s Halloween Kills managed to earn a solid sum while also being simultaneously published on the Peacock streaming service, despite initial estimates of $50 million to $55 million.
“The day-and-date model was put to the test again, but I think this is a mandate in favor of the movie theater,” Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian said, per AP. “Audiences had the option to watch it at home but they chose to go to the theater.”
Over a two-day period on Peacock, Halloween Ends reportedly became the most watched series or movie of all time, according to NBCUniversal. The film earned an extra $17.17 million abroad, bringing its global box office total to $58.42 million.