Annabelle Conquers Box Office, Earning $35M

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 AP reports. 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. Last week's top film, the poorly received Stephen King adaptation The Dark Tower, slid dramatically. It toppled nearly 70% on its second weekend with an estimated $7.9 million. (More Dunkirk stories.)