‘Smile 2’ gets off to a happy start at the box office

Horror continues to dominate the box office this October, with new release Smile 2 taking in $9.4 million from its Oct. 18 opening day and preview screenings. Variety says that’s more than the original Smile‘s $8.2 million.

The pop star-centric sequel — which Mashable’s Monica Castillo called “even more fun and gory this time around” in her review — isn’t the only horror movie to crack the box office top five this week. Gore-fest Terrifier 3, which topped the box office last week, is poised to come in third after earning $2.9 million this Friday.

Meanwhile, Dreamworks’ The Wild Robot continues to hold strong at second, and will likely cross the $100 million domestic mark over the rest of the weekend, even as the film lands on digital. Rounding out the top five are We Live in Time, starring Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield, and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which is on track to become the fourth highest-grossing film of 2024 in the US.

As for Joker: Folie à Deux? It continues to underperform, falling out of the top five with a whimper.

Smile 2 is now in theaters.