'Halloween' 2018 Movie Box Office: Michael Myers Murders the Competition

Halloween is back in a big way. The 2018 horror movie, which serves as a direct sequel to the original John Carpenter film and reboots the rest of the series, swept the box office to pull in $77.5 million for its opening weekend, Deadline reports.

That makes Halloween (2018) the second biggest release this month after Venom, made $80.2 million in its opening weekend. It’s also the biggest debut ever for both the Halloween franchise and Blumhouse Productions, the horror focused studio that co-financed the new movie. 40 years after Michael Myers first stabbed his way into theaters, nostalgia is clearly a driving force when it comes to success at the box office.

In a statement, Blumhouse founder Jason Blum made a similar argument, adding that the combination of classic material and fresh perspectives is to thank for Halloween’s financial success:

“The reception of fans and critics alike is a huge endorsement of the Blumhouse model. Combining legendary source material, the participation of original creators and a fresh take from talented directors and writers who don’t normally do horror films, Halloween brings the franchise back to life in a fresh, relevant and fun way.”

Halloween picks up 40 years after the original and ignores all the world-building we’ve seen in 10 other sequels released over the past four decades. Instead, we quickly learn that Lauri Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is still alive and waiting patiently for a chance to get revenge against Michael Myers. When that opportunity finally comes she’s ready, and she brings her estranged adult daughter (Judy Greer), and her teenage granddaughter along with her.

Fans of the original will notice plenty of callbacks, from the new movie’s score to several scenes that mirror the 1978 classic almost perfectly with one clever twist. To say anything more would ruin a great horror film, but if you are looking for spoilers check out the video below.

Halloween (2018) is in theaters now.