Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson seen at ‘Insidious Chapter 2’ World Premiere on Sept. 10, 2013, in Los Angeles. PHOTO BY ERIC CHARBONNEAU/INVISION FOR FILMDISTRICT/AP IMAGES
LOS ANGELES—The horror sequel “Insidious: Chapter 2” spirited itself into the top slot at the North American box office with a massive $41 million opening weekend take, industry estimates showed Sunday.
The film, starring Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson as a haunted husband and wife, is a follow-up to the successful 2010 horror flick “Insidious,” though the former has received much poorer reviews.
In second place, “The Family,” starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert De Niro as a mafia family in witness protection seeking to remain under the radar in France, opened with $14.5 million, according to industry tracker Exhibitor Relations.
With just over $7 million, last week’s top movie, “Riddick,” the latest in the action franchise starring Vin Diesel, took third place in its second week.
Meanwhile, “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” was still going strong, taking in $5.6 million in its fourth week in theaters, good enough for fourth place, down two places on the week.
The Oscar-tipped drama, about the civil rights era as seen through the eyes of a black White House servant played by Forest Whitaker, has earned more than $100 million since its release five weeks ago.
In fifth position was raunchy adult comedy “We’re the Millers,” about drug smugglers posing as a suburban family, starring Jennifer Aniston as a stripper. It earned $5.4 million in theaters.
Sixth spot was claimed by comedy-drama “Instructions Not Included,” Eugenio Derbez’s movie about a Mexican playboy who is suddenly presented with the child from a previous liaison and forced to become a father. The movie took in $4.3 million.
Disney’s animated film “Planes,” a spin-off from Pixar’s “Cars” franchise, took $3.1 million for seventh place, with British boy band One Direction’s new movie next in line, with $2.4 million, good enough for eighth place.
“Elysium,” the critically acclaimed science-fiction blockbuster starring Matt Damon about wealthy humans living in an exclusive outer space colony after Earth is ruined, took ninth place, with $2.1 million.
And rounding out the top 10 was “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters” with just over $1.8 million in ticket sales.