The Evil Dead box office dominated the weekend, proving that even a Rated-R movie can beat out the competition if it is based on a cult classic and hits theaters with great word of mouth. Evil Dead finished the opening weekend with an estimated $26 million, ranking 10th best of all-time for horror movies.
Check out our review of Evil Dead and our interview with the director Fede Alvarez.
The Evil Dead box office is also the second biggest opening horror movie of the year, following the Guillermo Del Toro produced Mama, which made $28.4 million. Mama finished with $71 million worldwide, but as a Rated-R horror movie, Evil Dead might have trouble reaching that level.
The audience was 56-percent male and 56-percent under 25, and the movie received a lower C+ “CinemaScore,” which might hurt long term prospects, although that is pretty normal for a horror flick.
The Croods and G.I. Joe: Retaliation tied for second in the estimated reports, and there is no telling which one will hold on for second when the final numbers come in.
Jurassic Park 3D received great reviews for its 3D re-release but only managed $18.2 million for a fourth place finish. Overall, the Top 12 movies finished at $127.5 million, which is nine-percent better than this same weekend in 2012.
