Horror fans have waited nearly a decade to see Michael Myers return to the big screen, and have finally gotten to see the knife-wielding serial killer return in an exhilarating and frightening new movie.
The nine-year wait for a new Halloween movie was the longest in the series' history, and it did not disappoint—especially when it came to its box office haul. In North America, Variety reports that the movie earned $77.5 million over the weekend after launching on nearly 4000 screens. It's the second-highest October debut in history, only behind this year's Venom.
The new film, which is directed by David Gordon Green, obliterated the series' previous record-holder, Rob Zombie's polarizing 2007 remake, which made $26 million in its first weekend.
"I am enormously proud of this film,” producer Jason Blum said in a statement. “Halloween brings the franchise back to life in a fresh, relevant, and fun way that is winning over fans and critics alike.”
Early estimates were targeting a $65 million opening weekend, but it hardly comes as a surprise that fans came out in droves to see the movie. Not only is Halloween a direct sequel to John Carpenter's 1978 classic, which is easily the most acclaimed film in the series' history, but it also saw Jamie Lee Curtis reprise her iconic role as Laurie Strode.
Curtis wasn't the only returning player; John Carpenter came on board as the executive producer, which marks his first direct involvement in the series since 1981's Halloween 2.