By India McCarty
THE CONJURING: LAST RITES just made horror movie history with the biggest opening for a scary movie since the IT franchise.
“The ninth entry in Warner Bros. and New Line’s paranormal franchise collected a sensational $194 million worldwide in its first weekend of release,” Variety reported, adding that this was well over the industry estimate of $187 million.
LAST RITES took the top spot from IT, which set the record with $190 million. The movie also broke the sequel’s record at the international box office with a $110 million opening; for comparison, 2019’s IT: CHAPTER TWO held the top spot with $92 million.
THE CONJURING: LAST RITES is now the third-largest earner domestically in the horror genre, after IT ($123 million) and IT: CHAPTER TWO ($91 million).
Related: THE CONJURING: LAST RITES
It’s no surprise the movie is making big bucks at the box office. THE CONJURING franchise, which began in 2013, tells the story of real-life paranormal investigators and married couple Ed and Lorraine Warren. Overall, the franchise as a whole has grossed over $2.4 billion and amassed millions of fans.
Movieguide® reviewed LAST RITES positively, praising the movie for its “strong Christian, biblical, pro-family worldview,” as well as the Warren’s use of prayer, faith and scripture to battle demons.
That message of faith is one that the stars of the franchise have also shared. Patrick Wilson, who plays Ed, told the New York Times that the “whole series is summed up in” 1 John 4:18 — “Perfect love drives out fear.”
LAST RITES is also the final movie in the series, which director Michael Chaves admitted brought some “pressure” to the project.
“This is a series I love so much and the fans love so much. We’re saying goodbye to Ed and Lorraine, to Patrick and Vera [Farmiga]. We’re saying goodbye to this incredible series that we’ve been a part of for 12 years,” he said in an interview with Daily Dead. “And I was there with all of you guys when I saw that first one and just fell in love with this series and fell in love with those characters and the world, so it is hard to say goodbye.”
Wilson also shared a heartfelt goodbye to the series in an Instagram post, writing, “As the sun sets on the Conjuring franchise…I am overwhelmed. There aren’t enough thanks to go around for the thousands of people who’ve contributed to the making of these films…and the millions who’ve watched them.”
Fans of THE CONJURING franchise are sad to see the series and its beloved characters go, but it looks like LAST RITES is the perfect goodbye for the Warrens.
Read Next: THE CONJURING Cast Interviews
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