Conjuring 2 Scares Off Sequels Slump

The old-school horror film The Conjuring 2 was the top movie in weekend theaters, opening with estimated $40.4 million, reports the AP, a strong result that broke the recent sequels slump at the box office. The big-budget video-game adaptation Warcraft came in second with $24.4 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. That was a more middling debut, but the film, taken from the World of Warcraft video game franchise, has been a lucrative hit in overseas markets, particularly China. The magician heist film Now You See Me 2 opened with $23 million in third place, a drop from the original's $29.4 million debut in 2013. Last week's top film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, slid to fourth with $14.8 million. (More box office stories.)