Weapons horror hits $42.5M opening weekend, Freakier Friday follows with $29M debut

August has arrived, bringing a thrilling mix of horror and humor to the big screen.

Zach Cregger’s much-anticipated horror flick Weapons delivered exactly what fans hoped for, dominating the box office on its opening weekend. The film pulled in an impressive $42.5 million domestically across 3,202 theaters, alongside a solid $70 million internationally.

This blockbuster success marked Warner Bros. Pictures’ seventh No. 1 opening of the year and continued their streak with a sixth consecutive film debuting above $40 million domestically.

Meanwhile, Disney’s Freakier Friday—the lively sequel to the 2003 hit Freaky Friday—claimed the second spot on its debut weekend, raking in $29 million from 3,975 North American theaters. Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis return, this time navigating a chaotic double body swap involving the mother-daughter duo and Lohan’s teen daughter, who’s about to become a stepdaughter.

Viral marketing tactics, coupled with strong social media word-of-mouth, boded well for both films’ success, said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for the data firm Comscore.

“The top two films could not be more different, and that’s what makes this weekend so appealing for moviegoers,” Dergarabedian said. “Both are perfectly tailored for their audiences to react in real time over the weekend to these films and then post on social media.”

“Weapons” transports audiences to the small town of Maybrook, where 17 kids up and leave their homes at 2:17 a.m., leaving bewildered parents in their wake. The town is left to navigate the lingering effects of trauma through horror, paranoia and a touch of existential humor.

The film is Cregger’s follow-up to his solo directorial debut with the 2022 genre-bending horror, “Barbarian.” That critically-acclaimed film had a slower start and smaller budget, but still topped the charts during its premiere with $10 million domestically and made a splash in the genre.

“Weapons” generated a lot of buzz for its strong reviews (95% on Rotten Tomatoes).

“The Internet’s exploding right now between Friday and today. You just see that people are having a great time with it,” said Jeffrey Goldstein, president of Global Distribution for Warner Bros. “It starts with an exceptional movie, an exceptional marketing campaign, and the date was exceptional too.”

The success of the comedy-horror double premiere meant “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” surrendered its two-week run in the top spot and landed in the third position, bringing in $15.5 million domestically. The superhero movie enjoyed a strong $118 million debut, but stumbled in its second weekend.

“The Bad Guys 2,” which got a healthy start at the No. 2 spot during its premiere weekend, came in fourth place, earning $10.4 million domestically. “The Naked Gun” had a similar fate, reaching the fifth position with $8.4 million in North American theaters.

“Jurassic World Rebirth,” which came in seventh this week, is expected to hit $800 million globally by Monday, according to NBC Universal, following a successful run in theaters.

Warner Bros. started off slow this year, but made a comeback with the box-office hit, “A Minecraft Movie,” which opened with $157 million domestically. Since then, movies like “Sinners,” “Superman” and now, “Weapons,” have found success.

The studio set “a blueprint to how to create a perfect summer lineup,” Dergarabedian said.

“Weapons ”also joins a stream of successful horror movies this year, its opening numbers coming in just behind “Final Destination: Bloodlines” and “Sinners.”

With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:

1. “Weapons,” $42.5 million.

2. “Freakier Friday,” $29 million.

3. “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” $15.5 million.

4. “The Bad Guys 2,” $10.4 million.

5. “The Naked Gun,” $8.4 million.

6. “Superman,” $7.8 million.

7. “Jurassic World Rebirth,” $4.7 million.

8. “F1: The Movie,” $2.9 million.

9. “Together,” $2.6 million.

10. “Sketch,” $2.5 million.