“Five Nights at Freddy’s has made a remarkable entry into the domestic box office, contributing significantly to overall revenue. The latest horror film from Universal and Blumhouse made a stunning debut, raking in $78 million, even as it simultaneously premiered on the Peacock streaming service. Its start was exceptionally strong, with an impressive Friday collection of $39.5 million, including $10.3 million from Thursday previews.

This movie, exceeding industry expectations, secured the third-largest opening for a horror film in history, trailing only New Line’s two ‘It’ movies. It also boasts the best Halloween weekend opening ever. ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ claims the title of the biggest horror opening in 2023 to date, surpassing ‘Scream VI’ ($44.4 million). Additionally, it’s the second-highest opening for a video game adaptation, following ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ ($146.3 million), without adjusting for inflation.

The success extends to the international market, with ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ earning approximately $52.6 million across 60 markets, resulting in a global opening of $130.6 million. This achievement outperforms ‘The Nun II’ ($88.1 million) to become the year’s most significant worldwide opening for a horror film.

Interestingly, ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ surpassed the 2018 opening of ‘Halloween’ ($76.2 million), making it the biggest domestic opening for Blumhouse, without adjusting for inflation. It’s also Blumhouse’s top global debut. Worth noting, the film outshone ‘The Mummy Returns’ ($68.1 million) to claim the highest opening for a PG-13-rated horror film, without considering inflation.

Although critics were mostly critical of ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s,’ the audience gave it an A- CinemaScore, a rare accolade for a horror film.

The decision to release the film simultaneously in theaters and on Peacock is viewed as a win-win by Universal insiders. This strategy caters to those who prefer the communal theater experience and simultaneously attracts subscribers to Peacock, especially during the Halloween season.

Before the pandemic, most theaters would have rejected titles available for home viewing. However, the COVID-19 crisis drastically altered this dynamic, resulting in a significantly reduced theatrical window, especially for films opening under $50 million. Day-and-date releases remain uncommon, but no cinema operator was willing to forego showing ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s.’

Directed by Emma Tammi, ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ features Josh Hutcherson as a security guard tasked with protecting a closed family-themed pizza restaurant. The catch: the animatronic animal characters within the restaurant come to life and unleash chaos. The film also explores his efforts to maintain custody of his 10-year-old sister and thwart their Aunt Jane’s plans.

Jim Henson’s Creature Shop created the animatronic characters. In other box office news, Taylor Swift and AMC Theatres’ ‘Eras Tour’ reached a milestone by surpassing $200 million in worldwide box office earnings, a first for a concert film. The film earned an additional $14.7 million domestically, bringing its North American total to $149.3 million and a global tally of $203 million.

Martin Scorsese’s ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ came in third place, with an estimated $9 million, marking a steep 61% drop in earnings. The film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, and Robert De Niro, is banking on building momentum during the Oscar season.

‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ also earned $14.1 million from international markets, resulting in a foreign total of $44 million and a global total of $88.6 million. Angel Studios introduced its first release since the summer hit ‘Sound of Freedom.’ ‘After Death,’ a faith-based film, secured the fourth spot with $5 million.

Blumhouse and Universal’s ‘The Exorcist: The Believer,’ now available on Premium VOD, rounded out the top five in its fourth weekend. The film grossed $3.1 million for a domestic total of $61 million and a global tally of $120.4 million.

On the specialty box office front, two high-profile Oscar hopefuls entered the scene: Focus Features’ ‘The Holdovers’ and A24’s ‘Priscilla.’ These films opened in various locations in New York and Los Angeles, each reporting a promising per-location average in the $33,000 range.

‘The Holdovers’ earned $200,000 from six locations, with a per-theater average of $33,333. ‘Priscilla,’ debuting in four cinemas, garnered $132,139, resulting in a location average of $33,035.”