North American box office slows after strong Sept start

The North American box office slowed sharply over the weekend following two consecutive weekends of overperforming releases, as overall ticket sales dropped nearly 50% from last weekend, according to studio estimates. Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures' 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — Infinity Castle' remained at the top, earning $17.3 million. The anime hit has now grossed $104.7 million, making it the highest-grossing anime film ever in North America.

Universal Pictures' 'Him', a football horror film produced by Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw and directed by Justin Tipping, debuted in second place with $13.5 million from 3,168 North American theatres.

The film drew an audience that was 52% male and 65% over the age of 25, and earned $400,000 internationally. Starring Tyriq Withers and Marlon Wayans, 'Him' struggled with both critics and audiences, carrying a 29% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Close behind, Warner Bros' 'The Conjuring: Last Rights' took in $13 million in its third weekend. With a global total of $400 million, it is now the biggest film in the Conjuring franchise.

Horror continued to dominate, with three titles — 'Demon Slayer', 'Him', and 'The Conjuring: Last Rights' — among the top 10. According to Comscore, the genre has generated $1.1 billion domestically this year, just shy of the 2017 record.

Sony's original romance 'A Big Bold Beautiful Journey', starring Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell, earned only $3.5 million from 3,300 locations and received negative reviews, holding a 37% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Among other releases, 'Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale' added $6.3 million in its second weekend for a $31.6 million total. Stephen King's 'The Long Walk' also grossed $6.3 million, reaching $22.7 million domestically, surpassing its $20 million budget. Anniversary re-releases contributed modestly, with Ron Howard's 'Apollo 13' earning $600,000 in 200 theatres and Pixar's 'Toy Story' adding $1.4 million in its second weekend.

Looking ahead, Paul Thomas Anderson's 'One Battle After Another' is set for release next weekend, while AMC Theaters will host a nationwide release party for Taylor Swift's 12th studio album 'The Life of a Showgirl' from Oct. 3-5.