Horror is king this weekend as The Conjuring: Last Rites prepares to scare up a franchise-best debut and give theaters the jolt they’ve been waiting for. Warner Bros.’ latest supernatural thriller — directed by Michael Chaves and starring Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson — is set to launch in over 3,700 theaters with projections ranging from $50 million to as high as $65 million for its opening weekend. That would easily make it the biggest domestic debut in the history of the $2 billion Conjuring franchise.
The fourth main installment in the long-running series, Last Rites sees the Warrens face one final haunting — a “last ride” that has fueled surging presales and turned the release into an event for horror fans. Many forecasts suggest the opening will not only top the Conjuring universe record set by The Nun in 2018 ($53.8 million) but also outpace Warner Bros.’ Final Destination Bloodlines ($51.6 million) for the studio’s biggest horror opening of the year.
Warner Bros. is cautiously estimating a $35 million domestic start, but independent tracking tells a different story — with projection models pointing toward a $95 million-$110 million global debut. Internationally, the film is opening across more than 15,000 screens in 66 markets, including the U.K., Brazil, Korea, Australia, and Mexico, where the franchise has historically been a powerhouse. With Imax, Dolby Cinema, and motion-seat formats boosting ticket prices, premium screens are expected to drive a significant chunk of weekend revenue.
Critics are mixed so far, with matching scores of 54 percent on both Rotten Tomatoes and Metacriticbut the film’s massive early turnout suggests it’ll be critic-proof through opening weekend. Women under 25 make up the strongest demo based on pre-release data, and audience anticipation has been supercharged by Warner Bros.’ aggressive marketing — including record-breaking presales, the best of any horror title so far in 2025.
Following behind, Disney’s Hamilton is projected to take second place with $7 million-$8.5 million as Lin-Manuel Miranda’s stage phenomenon finally hits the big screen. Warner Bros.’ Weapons slides into third with about $5 million after a stunning summer run that’s pushed it to $137 million domestic and $240 million worldwide. Disney’s Freakier Friday should land in fourth at roughly $4 million, while Caught Stealing and The Roses are expected to battle it out for fifth with around $3 million each.
Here are Gold Derby’s predicted box-office rankings for the top five over the Sept. 5-7 weekend:
1. The Conjuring: Last Rites
2. Hamilton
3. Weapons
4. Freakier Friday
5. Caught Stealing
Do you agree or disagree with those rankings? Make your predictions right now — it’s fun and easy!