Box Office: ‘The Exorcist: Believer’ Crosses Off $11.9 Million Opening Day
variety.comJ. Kim Murphy Nearly 50 years after William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist” landed in theaters to leg out a run as the highest-grossing feature of 1973, a new sequel to it is opening on top of the box office.
Universal’s “The Exorcist: Believer” compelled audiences to the tune of an $11.9 million opening day from 3,663 locations, a number including $2.85 million in previews.
The Blumhouse and Morgan Creek Entertainment production should have no trouble taking the top spot through the weekend, though “Believer” now looks to be debuting lower than its more optimistic projections, which had forecast a $30 million gross over the three-day frame.
The horror entry should take in around $28 million through Sunday. The film is also doing much less business than director David Gordon Green‘s last spin on a classic horror franchise at Blumhouse; his 2018 “Halloween” became a smash hit with a $76 million debut. “Believer” also won’t be matching the 1973 original’s run, which still stands as a series-high with a $441 million lifetime gross.
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