"Hotel Transylvania 2" easily topped the weekend box office, sinking its teeth into an impressive $47.5 million (RM209 million), and providing a big win for star Adam Sandler and Sony Pictures, the studio behind the animated franchise.
Both had endured rough patches at ticket booths. Sandler, once among the most consistently commercial leading men in Hollywood, has suffered a series of flops like "Blended," "That's My Boy," and "Jack and Jill" that have inspired questions about his bankability.
And Sony, which had its inner workings laid bare in last year's hack attack by North Korea, was subjected to a summer that saw films like "Aloha" and Sandler's video game "Pixels" rejected by audiences.
It has been on the upswing in recent weeks, fielding modest hits like "War Room" and "The Perfect Guy," but this is the studio's biggest opening since "22 Jump Street" debuted to $57 million in June of 2014.
It also sets a new September record, passing the previous "Hotel Transylvania's" $42.5 million start in 2012. The $80 million production got off to a strong start overseas, outpacing the first film's results in parts of Latin America.
"It's on it's way to being one of the most beloved franchises of all time," said Rory Bruer, Sony Pictures president of worldwide distribution.
"There are a lot of stories left to tell," he added, saying that he hoped there would be a third installment.
Domestically, it was a competitive weekend at the multiplexes. In addition to "Hotel Transylvania 2," Universal expanded "Everest" from Imax and premium format screens to 3,006 locations, where the high altitude disaster film picked up $13.1 million.
That figure is something of a disappointment given the A CinemaScore the film earned in limited release and the solid $7.2 million it generated in its inaugural weekend.
With "Everest" appealing to men and "Hotel Transylvania 2" roping in families, Warner Bros. made a pitch to female ticket buyers with "The Intern."
The Nancy Meyers workplace comedy brought in a solid $18.2 million for a second place finish. Filmed for $40 million, it stars Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway.
That opening puts it in line with previous Meyers' releases such as "Something's Gotta Give" ($16.1 million debut) and "The Holiday" ($12.8 million start).
The director's latest effort is just as likely to inspire real estate envy in the heavily female audience that turned out to see the impossibly chic world of "The Intern."
"Nancy Meyers really is a brand onto herself," said Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros. distribution executive vice president."It's not just the stories that attracts people. It's the lifestyle, it's the sets, it's the clothes."
That left Eli Roth's "Green Inferno" as the weekend's only other wide release. The low budget horror film earned $3.5 million from 1,540 locations. The picture about a young woman who has a nasty encounter with Peruvian cannibals is part of a novel distribution experiment from Jason Blum.
The horror producer's company Blumhouse limited the number of locations where the picture screened and leaned heavily on digital marketing to keep costs low.
The hope was to find a middle ground between straight to on-demand releases and wide, 3,000 screen debuts, but the model may need more tweaking.
The company had hoped the film would debut to between $4 million and $5 million. It will try a similar experiment with two more upcoming releases, including "Delirium," a supernatural thriller with Topher Grace and Patricia Clarkson. A third film has yet to be determined.
Last weekend's champ, "Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials," slid to third place in its sophomore weekend, notching $14 million, and bringing the Fox's film's domestic total to $51.7 million.
Among holdovers, Johnny Depp's "Black Mass" fell less than 50% in its second weekend, adding $11.5 million to push the Warner Bros.' film's stateside haul to $42.6 million.
Lionsgate's "Sicario" continued to impress in its second week in theaters. A week after scoring the biggest per-screen average of the year, the drug war thriller moved from six to 59 theaters, cracking the box office top ten with $680,591. It goes wide next weekend.
Bleecker Street's "Pawn Sacrifice," a look at troubled chess great Bobby Fischer (Tobey Maguire), broadened its theatrical footprint from 33 to 781 locations, earning $1.1 million. It has earned $1.3 million after two weeks.
In the art house realm, Broad Green bowed housing crisis drama "99 Homes" in two New York theirs, where it earned $32,807, for a per-screen average of $16,403.
The onslaught of new and expanding releases bolstered overall ticket sales. Receipts were up nearly 30% from the year-ago period when "The Equalizer" and the first "Maze Runner" topped box office charts.
Reuters
Mon Sep 28 2015
This image released by Sony Pictures Animation shows a scene from Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation's "Hotel Transylvania 2." - Sony Pictures Animation via AP
Iran's supreme leader says Hamas leader's death will not halt 'Axis of Resistance'
The "Axis of Resistance", built up with years of Iranian support, includes Hamas, the Lebanese Hezbollah group, the Houthi movement in Yemen, and various Shi'ite groups in Iraq and Syria.
Putin says Russia willing to seek compromises between Iran and Israel
Russia is ready to help seek compromises between arch-foes Israel and Iran, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, saying these would be difficult but possible.
What proposals will Russia push at the BRICS summit?
The proposal is also to establish a BRICS reinsurance company to allow uninterrupted shipment of goods and key commodities between members.
Indonesia's free meals plan in the spotlight as Prabowo readies for office
Prabowo calls the programme one of the main drivers of economic growth, eventually set to add an estimated 2.5 million jobs.
Astro AWANI's revamped English news website, AWANI International, launches on Oct 21
Astro AWANI's revamped English platform delivers in-depth global news and expert analysis to keep you informed on key developments.
Israeli strikes kill 33 people in Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza, medics say
Residents of Jabalia said Israeli tanks had reached the heart of the camp after pushing through suburbs and residential districts.
Liam Payne's ex-partner calls for media restraint after 'painful' death
Cheryl Tweedy used her statement to urge the media to remember they had a seven-year-old son, Bear, who could read the reports.
Analysts: Indonesia's strong MoF leadership team to boost investor confidence
Sri Mulyani Indrawati as head of Indonesia's Ministry of Finance is expected to instil confidence among investors.
Biden offers both a carrot and a stick to Israel as his term nears an end
Israel has frequently resisted US advice and has caused political difficulties for the Biden administration.
Putin says BRICS will generate most of global economic growth
Russian President Vladimir Putin will host a summit of the group in the city of Kazan on Oct. 22-24.
ISIS Malaysia's perspective of Budget 2025
An excellent rakyat-centric budget under the overarching principle of a caring and humane economy.
Budget 2025: Record increase in STR, SARA aid initiatives
The government will provide a significant boost to the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) initiatives next year.
Budget 2025: EPF contributions to be made mandatory for foreign workers – PM Anwar
The government plans to make it compulsory for all non-citizen workers to contribute to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).
What policies to expect from Indonesia's new President Prabowo
Prabowo will be open to foreign investment, his aide has said, such as by offering investors management of airports and sea ports.
Budget 2025: Govt allocates RM470 mil to empower women's participation in PMKS
The Women's Leadership Apprenticeship Program will be intensified as an effort to produce more female corporate personalities.
Israel sends more troops into north Gaza, deepens raid
Residents of Jabalia in northern Gaza said Israeli tanks had reached the heart of the camp, using heavy air and ground fire.
Indonesia ramps up security ahead of Prabowo's inauguration
Prabowo Subianto will be sworn in as Indonesia's president on Sunday with Vice President-elect, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, also taking office.
Immediate allocation of RM150 mil for local authorities, DID to tackle flash floods
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this allocation is intended to address the recent flash floods that hit the capital and several major towns.
Budget 2025: Sabah, Sarawak to continue receiving among highest allocations - PM
Sabah and Sarawak continues to be prioritised under Budget 2025, with allocations of RM6.7 billion and RM5.9 billion respectively.
NFOF will be operational in November 2024 with funding of RM1 bil
PM Anwar Ibrahim said NFOF will support venture capital fund managers to invest in startup companies with RM300 million set aside for 2025.