Legendary’s “Crimson Peak” haunted 2,178 theaters on Thursday night to scare up $855,000, while Sony’s “Goosebumps” pulled in $600,000 from 2,567 locations.
Steven Spielberg‘s “Bridge of Spies” came in third and took in $500,000 at the previews, and will open in 2,811 theaters Friday.
In the days leading up to the release of the adaptation of R.L. Stine’s classic young adult books, analysts predicted the PG adventure “Goosebumps” to get the last laugh, though, and expect the comedy starring Jack Black to dethrone reigning box office champion “The Martian.”
With a $58 million budget, “Goosebumps,” co-produced and co-financed by Village Roadshow Pictures, is expected to debut in the $25 million range. Sony was a lot more conservative with its projection in the mid-teens, but given the popularity of the book series which launched in 1992 and now has sold over 400 million copies, analysts are shooting for higher. Critics are giving it a 73 percent Rotten Tomato score.
“Crimson Peak,” distributed by Universal Pictures, had been estimated to debut in the mid-teen millions, while del Toro’s most recent films, “Pacific Rim” and “Hellboy 2,” both opened over $34 million.
The film, starring Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain and Mia Wasikowska, has a 68 percent Rotten Tomato score.
“Bridge of Spies,” starring Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance, had an estimated production budget of $40 million, and is projected to open somewhere around $20 million.
Comparably, Hanks’ 2013 film, “Captain Phillips,” opened with $600,000 at the Thursday night box office before raking in $25.7 million during its October opening weekend.
Spielberg and Hanks reunited for the fourth time in this drama, after 2004’s “The Terminal,” 2002’s “Catch Me if You Can” and 1998’s “Saving Private Ryan.”
The film is based on the 1962 U2 spy plane incident, and follows an American lawyer (Hanks) who is recruited by the CIA during the Cold War to help rescue a detained pilot in the Soviet Union. It currently boasts a 92 percent Rotten Tomato score, with critics saying it might be both Hanks and Spielberg’s best film to date.
“Room,” starring Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay, also opens Friday. Following a mother and her son who are held captive in an 11-by-11 foot room, the film received both a standing ovation and the Audience Award at Toronto International Film Festival in September.
It currently holds a score of 93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.