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LOS ANGELES (AP) \u2014 It’s the year for horror and \u201cThe Conjuring: Last Rites\u201d<\/a> was no exception. Its opening weekend tipped the genre over $1 billion in earnings for this year’s domestic box office.<\/p>\n The horror sequel<\/a> raked in $83 million domestically in 3,802 theaters, making it the third-highest domestic opening for a horror movie, behind \u201cIt\u201d and \u201cIt: Chapter Two.\u201d<\/a> It’s now the largest horror opening internationally, with $104 million in earnings outside of North American theaters.<\/p>\n The film also broke records for the \u201cConjuring\u201d universe<\/a>, securing the biggest opening weekend in the franchise. The movie’s performance is a testament to the franchise’s success in producing classic horror movies since the first film released in 2013, said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for the data firm Comscore.<\/p>\n \u201cAudiences know when they go in to see \u2018The Conjuring,\u2019 the minute this scary, ominous music comes up with the Warner\u2019s logo, you know you\u2019re in for a wild ride,\u201d Dergarabedian said.<\/p>\n The film has received mixed reviews from critics, carrying a 55% on Rotten Tomatoes and a \u201cB\u201d CinemaScore.<\/p>\n Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga return to the big screen in the ninth installment of \u201cThe Conjuring\u201d<\/a> as the paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren who attempt to vanquish a demon from a family\u2019s home.<\/p>\n \u201cLast Rites\u201d also handed Warner Bros. Pictures yet another opening weekend box office win<\/a>, becoming the distributor’s eighth No. 1 debut win this year and the studio\u2019s seventh film in a row to debut with over $40 million domestically.<\/p>\n The movie’s opening weekend numbers are nearly double that of other successful horror movies this year, including Zach Cregger’s August sleeper hit \u201cWeapons,\u201d<\/a>\u201cFinal Destination: Bloodlines\u201d<\/a> and \u201cSinners”<\/a> \u2014 all of which are Warner Bros. releases.<\/p>\n \u201cIt just shows how arguably more than any other genre, horror has stood the test of time,” Dergarabedian said. “That\u2019s because there\u2019s nothing quite like seeing a horror movie in a darkened room full of strangers.\u201d<\/p>\n The horror genre last crossed the $1 billion mark in 2023. Meeting that threshold this early in the year is unprecedented, Dergarabedian said, \u201cbecause usually you need a full year of horror movie box office to bank that much cash.\u201d<\/p>\n Upcoming horror films like \u201cBlack Phone 2\u201d and \u201cFive Nights at Freddy\u2019s 2\u201d are likely to boost that number, Dergarabedian said.<\/p>\n \u201cLast Rites\u201d blew past other titles at the box office this weekend. Disney<\/a>\u2019s filmed version of \u201cHamilton\u201d<\/a> landed in second place with $10 million domestically. The film was \u201cperfect counterprogramming\u201d to \u201cLast Rights,\u201d Dergarabedian said.<\/p>\n The rest of the top spots were taken by several holdover titles. \u201cWeapons\u201d<\/a> secured third place during its fifth weekend, bringing in $5.4 million in earnings in North American theaters. The movie’s debut partner, \u201cFreakier Friday\u201d<\/a> took fourth place with $3.8 million.<\/p>\n