‘Candyman’ Leads Box Office as ‘Jungle Cruise’ Nears $100 Million

Universal/MGM’s “Candyman” is leading the box office on this final August weekend, earning $9.1 million from 3,569 screens on Friday. The revival of the ’90s horror series is now estimated to earn a $20 million opening, beating pre-release projections for a $15 million start.

Directed by Nia DaCosta and produced by Jordan Peele, “Candyman” has been well-received by critics and audiences with a B on CinemaScore, along with a 85% critics score and 74% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film was produced on a reported $25 million budget.

In fourth on the weekend charts is Disney’s “Jungle Cruise,” which will become the fifth post-shutdown film to gross $100 million in North America by Monday at the latest.