The Conjuring: Last Rites opened to a stunning $30 million on Friday and is on track to hit a $65 million franchise record. New Line and Warner Bros pushed the film past the $40 million forecast that analysts set earlier this week. The $65 million total would beat the previous Conjuring high set by The Nun in 2018, which earned $53.8 million.
If the early estimates hold, Last Rites will rank as the fifth biggest September opening ever. Only It in 2017, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice in 2022, It: Chapter Two in 2019, and Shang‑Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings in 2021 earned more in the month. This places the movie among the strongest fall releases of the year.
Preview Performance
Thursday night previews brought in $8.5 million, a new record for any Conjuring title. The preview figure also tops the best horror preview for Warner Bros and New Line this year. Early audiences gave the film a 60 percent recommend score, which should help sustain momentum over the weekend.
The preview crowd was 51 percent male and 49 percent female. Young adults aged 18 to 34 made up 69 percent of the audience. Teens between 13 and 17 gave the highest grade at 92 percent, while the 45 to 54 group offered a 90 percent rating. Latino and Hispanic viewers represented 44 percent of the Thursday crowd, followed by Caucasian (28 percent), Black (14 percent), and Asian American (8 percent).
Warner Bros celebrated its seventh number one opening of 2025 with Last Rites. It also marks the studio’s fourth straight number one horror opening this year. The film’s strong preview numbers suggest a $50 million plus weekend is possible, though horror releases often drop sharply after the first few days.
Comparing to Other Horror Releases
Last Rites outperformed recent horror previews such as Sinnners ($4.7 million), Final Destination Bloodlines ($5.5 million), and Weapons ($5.7 million). The Nun still holds the highest domestic opening in the franchise at $53.8 million, but Last Rites is quickly catching up.
The Conjuring universe, including core films and spin‑offs like The Nun and Annabelle, has earned $2.3 billion worldwide. This makes it the highest‑grossing horror franchise of all time. The success of Last Rites adds another strong entry to the series and reinforces the franchise’s staying power.
Critical Reception
Rotten Tomatoes has not yet posted an audience score, but critics gave the film a 58 percent rating. This is close to the 56 percent score for the 2021 sequel The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.
## What’s Next?
Box office analysts will update numbers on Friday morning. If the film continues its strong start, it could become the highest opening for a horror picture in 2025.
Source: Deadline
