Annabelle: Creation Has Worst US Opening In Franchise History

The newest instalment in the Conjuring franchise, Annabelle: Creation, opened in theatres this weekend and while it came in at No. 1 for the weekend, it came up short compared to its predecessors. It made $35 million for the Friday-Sunday period, which is the lowest opening for all four movies, behind Annabelle ($37.1 million), The Conjuring ($41.9 million), and The Conjuring 2 ($40.4 million).

Still, $35 million is a "strong start," according to Entertainment Weekly, which supplied all the numbers. Another thing to note is that Annabelle: Creation was produced on a $15 million budget.

Rounding out the top five movies at the US box office this weekend were Dunkirk ($11.4 million), The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature ($8.9 million), The Dark Tower ($7.9 million), and The Emoji Movie ($6.6 million).

Go to Entertainment Weekly to see a full breakdown of this weekend's US box office performance.

GameSpot's review of Annabelle: Creation said it can't stand up to the past films but has a number of standout moments. "Annabelle: Creation doesn't quite stand on its own, particularly in its ending," reviewer Michael Rougeau said. "But thanks to solid performances from its adult and child actors, skillful directing, truly terrifying moments that go beyond cheap jump scares, and a self-awareness that many scary movies lack, it teeters at the peak of this ever-expanding world of connected horror, asking you only to jump with it down into the dark."

August 11-13 US Box Office Estimates

1. Annabelle: Creation — $35 million
2. Dunkirk — $11.4 million
3. The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature — $8.9 million
4. The Dark Tower — $7.9 million
5. The Emoji Movie — $6.6 million
6. Girls Trip — $6.5 million
7. Spider-Man: Homecoming — $6.1 million
8. Kidnap — $ 5.2 million
9. The Glass Castle — $4.9 million
10. Atomic Blonde — $4.6 million