‘Annabelle’ scares up $35 million, jolting sleepy box office

‘Annabelle’ scares up $35 million, jolting sleepy box office

NEW YORK

The “Conjuring” spinoff “Annabelle: Creation” scared up an estimated $35 million in North American theaters over the weekend, making it easily the top film and giving the lagging August box office a shot in the arm.

The opening came close to matching the film’s predecessor, “Annabelle,” which opened with $37.1 million in October 2014. Warner Bros. could celebrate not only the month’s biggest debut but also having the week’s top two films. Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk” followed in second with $11.4 million in its fourth weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Even amid an especially weak August, the well-reviewed horror sequel and modestly budgeted “Annabelle: Creation” found eager audiences.

“That we were able to do $35 million in what is a very sluggish marketplace was very impressive,” said Jeffrey Goldstein, Warner Bros.’ distribution chief. “We all know that moviegoing begets moviegoing and right now it’s a dip in the content overall.”

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers also are included. Final domestic figures will be released today.

1. “Annabelle: Creation,” $35 million ($35 million international).

2. “Dunkirk,” $11.4 million ($14.5 million international).

3. “Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature,” $8.9 million.

4. “The Dark Tower,” $7.9 million ($7.9 million international).

5. “The Emoji Movie,” $6.6 million ($14.1 million international).

6. “Girls Trip,” $6.5 million ($1.4 million international).

7. “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” $6.1 million ($12.4 million international).

8. “Kidnap,” $5.2 million.

9. “Glass Castle,” $4.9 million.

10. “Atomic Blonde,” $4.6 million ($5.2 million international).

No ‘Game of Thrones’ in latest HBO leak

NEW YORK

Hackers continue to pester HBO, but didn’t release any material related to the network’s hit show “Game of Thrones” in their latest leak.

The hackers, who broke into HBO’s computer network and have been doling out stolen information for the past several weeks, released more unaired episodes, including several of the highly anticipated return of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” which debuts in October.

The latest dump includes Sunday night’s episode of “Insecure,” another popular show, and what appear to be episodes of other lower-profile shows, including “Ballers,” the unaired shows “Barry” and “The Deuce,” a comedy special and other programming.

The network acknowledged the hack in late July, and the thieves have been dribbling out stolen video and documents since then while demanding a multimillion-dollar ransom.

Bruno Mars donates $1M from concert to Flint water crisis

NEW YORK

Bruno Mars said Saturday he is donating $1 million from his Michigan concert to aid those affected by the Flint water crisis.

The Grammy-winning star told the audience at his show in Auburn Hills, about 30 miles from Detroit, that he and tour promoter Live Nation are redirecting funds from the show to the charity The Community Foundation of Greater Flint.

In 2014, Flint switched water sources and failed to add corrosion-reducing phosphates, allowing lead from old pipes to leach into the water. Elevated levels of lead, a neurotoxin, were detected in children, and 12 people died in a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak that experts suspect was linked to the improperly treated water.

“I’m very thankful to the Michigan audience for joining me in supporting this cause,” Mars said in a statement. “Ongoing challenges remain years later for Flint residents, and it’s important that we don’t forget our brothers and sisters affected by this disaster.”

Mars, who was born and raised in Hawaii, performed at the Palace of Auburn Hills during his sold-out 24K Magic World Tour. His latest album, “24K Magic,” recently achieved double platinum status.

Associated Press