The Exorcist: Believer tops the North American box office as soon as it hits theaters

(Los Angeles) Half a century after the original, the sequel to The Exorcist climbs to the top of the American box office with revenues of $27.2 million in its first weekend in theaters, according to data published Sunday by the specialist firm Exhibitor Relations.

The Exorcist: Believer recorded a “good first weekend for a sequel to a horror film”, despite the rather mixed reviews for this production, underlined the firm’s analyst, David A. Gross.

Like the original, the film revolves around characters possessed by supernatural forces, with faces covered in wounds, against the backdrop of a sometimes anxiety-provoking soundtrack and with an appearance by Ellen Burstyn from the 1973 production.

The Exorcist: Believer was scheduled to hit screens from Friday, October 13, but Universal Studios moved up its release so as not to have to face pop megastar Taylor Swift’s film on her Eras world tour scheduled for the same weekend.

Pre-sales of tickets for this film on Swift’s tour have already exceeded $100 million worldwide, theater operator AMC announced Thursday.

By seizing the head of the box office, The Exorcist: Believer relegates to second place the new part of the adventures of the puppies of PAW Patrol: The Mighty Moviewhich collected $11.8 million from Friday to Sunday.

American actor and comedian Chris Rock and former tennis champion Serena Williams lend their voices to the super-powered dog characters in this animated film.

In this new adventure inspired by the hit cartoon, the Super Patrol sets out on the trail of supervillains, whom it seeks to stop in order to save Adventureville, which has crashed on a magical meteorite.

Next in order is another horror film, Saw X, with its 8.2 million dollars in revenue and rather positive reviews; the science fiction thriller The Creator with 6.1 million and The Blind about the inner struggles of reality TV star Phil Robertson.