Scary Movies Keep Scaring Up Big Bucks

The latest in the Conjuring series, "Last Rites, " has just broken records. It made $34. 5 million on its first day, beating all other movies in the franchise. This is a big deal because it shows that people still love scary movies, even after nine films. The movie stars Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as the Warrens, who investigate scary stuff. The director, Michael Chaves, has worked on other Conjuring movies too. Critics aren't loving "Last Rites, " but that doesn't seem to matter. People are still going to see it. It's on track to make over $50 million in its first weekend, which would be the biggest opening ever for a Conjuring movie. It's also playing in big, fancy theaters like IMAX, which helps it make even more money. Meanwhile, Disney's "Hamilton" is doing well too. It made $3. 9 million on its first day, even though it's been on Disney+ for years. People still want to see it in theaters, especially for its 10th anniversary. It's expected to make around $9 million in its first weekend, which is pretty good for a movie that's already been watched by millions at home. Another horror movie, "Weapons, " is still doing well in its fifth weekend. It's made over $140 million in North America so far. And Disney's "Freakier Friday" has made $85 million, which is a lot for a comedy. It's about to pass "Snow White" as one of the highest-grossing movies of the year. But not every new movie is doing so well. "Caught Stealing" had a weak opening and is only making $3. 2 million in its second weekend. And "Light of the World, " a Christian movie, is only expected to make $700, 000 on its first day. All of this shows that scary movies and big musicals are still popular, even if critics don't always love them. People vote with their wallets, and right now, they're voting for "Last Rites" and "Hamilton. "