LOS ANGELES • A sequel has defied the recent trend of failures and topped the North American box office, with New Line Cinema release Annabelle: Creation earning US$35 million (S$48 million) over the weekend.

New Line has scared off competition before, achieving its first mega success in the 1980s with A Nightmare On Elm Street.

The Conjuring, released in 2013, whipped up the chill factor with its period setting and real-life connection.

Then came Annabelle in 2014, which was based on a haunted prop seen only momentarily in The Conjuring.

Annabelle: Creation, directed by David F. Sandberg (Lights Out, a 2016 New Line horror hit), is a prequel.

For the weekend, Dunkirk chugged away in second place, taking in about US$11.4 million for a four-week total of US$153.7 million, according to comScore.

The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature was third, selling roughly US$8.9 million in tickets, a 54 per cent decline from initial results for its 2014 predecessor.

NYTIMES