Horror fans remained on the line for “When a Stranger Calls,” a remake of the scary movie about a terrorized baby sitter that debuted at No. 1 with $22 million over the typically sluggish Super Bowl weekend.
Distributor Sony, whose Screen Gems banner released “When a Stranger Calls,” said it was the best Super Bowl debut ever, beating the $19 million haul the studio’s horror flick “Boogeyman” took in over the same weekend last year.
“When a Stranger Calls” did not screen in advance for critics, the custom when the studio expects bad reviews. But fright flicks have a built-in audience of horror fans who pay little attention to reviews.
Estimated ticket sales are in millions of dollars, for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters.
%% MOVIE TICKET SALES
When a Stranger Calls $22
Big Momma’s House 2 $13.35
Nanny McPhee $9.9
Brokeback Mountain $5.7
Hoodwinked $5.3
Underworld Evolution $5.1
Something New $5
Annapolis $3.5
Walk the Line $3.4
Glory Road $3
Estimated sales according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Source: AP
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