Jordan Peele has done it again. Two years after the filmmaker's "Get Out" became a box-office sensation, his frightening follow-up, "Us," debuted with $70.3 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The opening, well above forecasts, had few parallels. It was the largest debut for an original horror film (only the "It" remake and last year's "Halloween" have surpassed it in the genre) and one of the highest openings for a live-action original film since "Avatar" was released 10 years ago.
In today's franchise-driven movie world, seldom has a young director been such a draw. But moviegoers turned out in droves to see what kind of freak-out Peele could muster in his sophomore release.
"Us" took over the top spot at the box office from "Captain Marvel," which had reigned for two weeks. The Marvel Studios superhero release slid to second place with $35 million in its third week. In three weeks of release, it's made $910 million worldwide, and will soon become the first $1 billion release of 2019.
But the weekend belonged overwhelmingly to "Us," which more than doubled the $33.4 million domestic debut of 2017's Oscar-winning "Get Out." It ultimately grossed $255.4 million on a $4.5 million budget.
"Us" cost $20 million to make, meaning it's already a huge hit for Peele and Universal Pictures. It's also, as Peele has said, more thoroughly a horror film.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday:
1. "Us," $70.3 million.
