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Box Office Report: ‘Hotel Transylvania 2' Sets New September Record With $47.5M Debut

The Adam Sandler-led CG-animated sequel ‘Hotel Transylvania 2’ sets a new opening weekend record for the month of September, marking the best start ever for a Sony Pictures Animation title.

'Hotel Transylvania 2'

Sony's Hotel Transylvania 2 led the way at the North American box office this past weekend, taking in $47.5 million from 3,754 locations for its debut, and setting a new opening weekend record for the month of September (without adjusting for ticket price inflation).

The Adam Sandler-led CG-animated comedy from Sony Pictures Animation outpaced expectations, opening 12 percent stronger than the $42.52 million debut of its predecessor (and previous September opening weekend record holder) Hotel Transylvania back in 2012, and marking the best start ever for an SPA title. Overseas, the $80 million sequel opened to $29.2 million from 32 territories in Latin America, Asia and the Middle East for an early global tally of $76.7 million.

Coming in second was director Nancy Meyers’ comedy The Intern, starring Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro. The Warner Bros. film, made for $40 million, debuted to $18.2 million from 3,305 theaters. Overseas, The Intern launched in 40 markets, grossing $11.8 million for a total of $30 million worldwide.

Placing number three was 20th Century Fox’s Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, which brought in $14 million from 3,792 locations over its sophomore weekend for a domestic total of $51.7 million. The sequel is pacing somewhat behind the first installment, which had grossed $58 million at the same point in its run. Internationally, Scorch Trials raced past the $100 million mark, earning $28.4 million from 70 territories for a foreign total of $121.8 million and global cume of $173.5 million.

Rounding out the top five, Warner Bros.’ Black Mass, starring Johnny Depp, dipped 49 percent in its second outing to $11.5 million for a 10-day North American total of $42.6 million.

M. Night Shyamalan’s The Visit came in sixth place over its third weekend out, taking in $6.7 million from 2,967 theaters for distributor Universal. Overseas, the horror title grossed $5 million from 22 territories, reaching a $14 million cume outside of North America for a worldwide gross of $66.3 million.

Also in its third weekend in theaters, Sony's The Perfect Guy landed in seventh place, taking in $4.8 million from 1,889 locations for a new domestic total of $48.9 million.

Faith-based title The War Room, released under Sony’s TriStar label, came in eighth place over its fifth weekend out. Directed by Alex Kendrick, The War Room made $4.3 million from 1,920 theaters for a new domestic total of $56 million.

Also opening this weekend was Eli Roth’s The Green Inferno, which was made for $6 million and is being released via Blumhouse's new label BH Tilt. The horror movie, Roth's first directorial effort in eight years, grossed $3.5 million from 1,540 locations to come in at number nine.

Still in limited release, Lionsgate's Sicario rounded up the top ten, taking in $1.77 million from 59 locations over its sophomore weekend. Primed for expansion into wide release next week, the critically acclaimed crime thriller starring Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin has grossed $2.35 million in ten days.

Elsewhere, Baltasar Kormakur's Everest came in behind expectations in North America with $13.1 million from 3,006 theaters as it expanded nationwide after a limited 3D engagement last weekend in IMAX and premium large-format theaters. From Universal, Working Title, Cross Creek Pictures and Walden Media, the film's 10-day domestic total is $23.1 million. Loosely based on the real-life tale of two climbing expeditions left stranded high atop the world's largest mountain in 1996, Everest fared better with audiences overseas, grossing a strong $33.8 million in its second weekend from 62 markets for a foreign total of $73.7 million and global cume of $96.8 million.

Box office numbers were obtained at pro.boxoffice.com.

Jennifer Wolfe's picture

Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.