Scream 7 sets franchise record with $81.5m debut at North America box office
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Neve Campbell (left) and Courteney Cox return in Scream 7.
PHOTO: UIP
LOS ANGELES – Scream 7 slayed the competition at the North American box office, setting a franchise record with US$64.1 million (S$81.5 million) in its opening weekend, industry estimates showed on March 1.
Canadian actress Neve Campbell is back as original heroine Sidney Prescott in the Paramount film, the latest instalment in the 30-year-old slasher series
Franchise veterans Courteney Cox and David Arquette are also back in the new film. Its worldwide box office topped US$97 million, according to Exhibitor Relations.
It was the best-ever opening for a Scream film, according to data from Box Office Mojo.
“This is sensational business,” said analyst David Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research. “This audience knows these characters and story and that’s what they want to see.”
Neve Campbell is back as original heroine Sidney Prescott in Scream 7.
PHOTO: UIP
The killer opening for Scream 7 knocked Sony’s family-friendly animated film, GOAT, down to second place with US$12 million in ticket sales in the United States and Canada.
The film – the story of an undersized goat who wants to join a basketball-like “roarball” team – was produced by Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, who also takes on the voice role of a giraffe roarball player.
Wuthering Heights – starring Australian actors Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as the doomed lovers Cathy and Heathcliff from English writer Emily Bronte’s classic novel – dropped to third place at US$7 million.
Debuting in fourth place was concert film Twenty One Pilots: More Than We Ever Imagined, featuring a performance from the American musical duo in Mexico City. It earned US$4.3 million.
And in fifth place was EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert, Australian director Baz Luhrmann’s documentary about the legendary rocker featuring remastered footage.
The Neon film earned US$3.5 million when it expanded to a wider theatrical release in North America.
Rounding out the top 10 are Crime 101 (US$3.4 million), I Can Only Imagine 2 (US$3.1 million), Send Help (US$2.8 million), How To Make A Killing (US$1.6 million) and Zootopia 2 (US$1.4 million). AFP
Scream 7 opens in Singapore cinemas on March 5.
