"The Conjuring: Last Rites" Just Rewrote Horror History at the box Office

Warner Bros. and New Line’s haunted universe has struck again—this time bigger than ever. The Conjuring: Last Rites, the ninth installment in the long-running supernatural saga, didn’t just meet expectations on opening weekend—it demolished them.

The film raked in a staggering $194 million globally in just three days, sailing past early projections of $187 million. That’s not only a franchise best—it’s now officially the largest worldwide opening weekend ever for a horror film, dethroning 2017’s It, which previously held the crown at $190 million.

The movie also shattered international records, pulling in $110 million overseas, well beyond the prior horror high mark set by It: Chapter Two in 2019 with $92 million. On the home front, Last Rites secured $84 million in North America, giving it the third-strongest domestic horror debut ever, behind only It ($123 million) and It: Chapter Two ($91 million).

Directed by series regular Michael Chaves, the film brings back Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, once again facing down sinister forces inside a family’s cursed home. With James Wan and Peter Safran producing, the movie stays firmly rooted in the universe that has already spawned spin-offs like Annabelle and The Nun. Collectively, the franchise has now scared up over $2.3 billion worldwide, cementing its reputation as the most profitable horror property in cinema history.

And with a production cost of just $55 million, Warner Bros. has already secured a monster-sized hit. The victory also extends the studio’s hot streak, marking its seventh straight film to open above $40 million—a record no other studio has ever achieved. After weathering flops such as Joker: Folie à Deux, Mickey 17, and The Alto Knights, Warner Bros. has rebounded with back-to-back juggernauts including Minecraft: The Movie, Final Destination: Bloodlines, Superman, Weapons, and more.

For a franchise that began with a quiet haunted farmhouse back in 2013, The Conjuring just proved it’s not only alive and well—it’s scarier (and more profitable) than ever.