Critics Can't Slow Rush to Freddy's

Horror film debuts in theaters, streaming simultaneously
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Oct 29, 2023 11:55 AM CDT
Pre-Halloween Debut Works for Freddy's
This image released by Universal Pictures shows Josh Hutcherson, left, and Piper Rubio in a scene from "Five Nights at Freddy's."   (Patti Perret/Universal Pictures via AP)

It hardly mattered that Five Nights at Freddy's was released simultaneously in theaters and on streaming this weekend. Fans flocked to movie theaters across the country to see the scary video game adaptation on the big screen, which made $78 million to top the North American box office, according to studio estimates Sunday. Universal Pictures bet on a day-and-date release on the weekend before Halloween, sending it to 3,675 theaters in the US and Canada, while also making it available for Peacock subscribers, the subscription streaming service owned by NBCUniversal, the AP reports. The movie also opened in 64 markets internationally, where it's expected to gross $52.6 million, giving the film a $130.6 million global launch—the biggest of any horror released this year.

Blumhouse produced "Five Nights at Freddy's," which was directed by Emma Tammi and stars Josh Hutcherson, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Matthew Lillard. The video game series, in which a security guard fends off murderous animatronic characters at a run-down pizza restaurant, was first released in 2014. This installment is Blumhouse's 19th No. 1 debut. Audiences gave it an A- CinemaScore, but Five Nights at Freddy's did not score well with critics. It has a dismal 25% on Rotten Tomatoes. AP's Mark Kennedy wrote that it "has to go down as one of the poorest films in any genre this year." In second place, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is projected to cross $200 million in global grosses by the end of Sunday, having added $14.7 million domestically and $6.7 million internationally.

Below are estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

  1. Five Nights at Freddy's, $78 million.
  2. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, $14.7 million.
  3. Killers of the Flower Moon, $9 million.
  4. After Death, $5.1 million.
  5. The Exorcist: Believer, $3.1 million.
  6. Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie, $2.2 million.
  7. Freelance," $2.1 million.
  8. The Nightmare Before Christmas (rerelease), $2 million.
  9. Saw X, $1.7 million.
  10. The Creator, $1 million.
(More box office stories.)

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