UPDATED, Monday, 2:05 PM: With the two top pictures together pushing past the $50M mark, box office was up about 17% from last year and next weekend we expect both this weekends No. 1 opener Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween ($28.5M) and Ouiji: Origin of Evil to get a nice second weekend boost because of the Halloween holiday. Madea Halloween looks to be crossing over demos which is a boo!tiful thing for distributor Lionsgate.

The Tom Hanks-starring Inferno which goes wide next weekend from Sony should pull some adult demo business away (it’s expected to open in the high-$20Ms or low $30Ms) from Paramount’s No. 2 player Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, which opened with a final $22.8M.

Overseas, where Sony’s Inferno is already in theaters and has racked up just a little under $100M ($94.8M), all eyes will be on the rollout next weekend of Disney/Marvel’s Dr. Strange which will also give Paramount’s Reacher a run for its money as it sops up the Imax screens. Dr. Strange, which is loaded with special-effects eye candy, should pull in some decent business to start off what is expected to be a terrific fall season at the box office domestically, too.

Related Story 'Jack Reacher: Never Go Back' Review: Tom Cruise Rules In Throwback Action Flick

There hasn’t been a Marvel title in the marketplace since May when Captain America: Civil War was released. Although this one is quite different than the pumped up action heroes that fans are used to, it’s still has the cinematic goods.

Also notable this weekend was the lackluster opening of Fox’s Keeping Up with the Joneses with only $5.4M all in and the faith-based, Pure Flix’s pic I’m Not Ashamed with a per screen of $1,836 in its 505 theaters. are the sophomore frames of a handful of films in the Top 20: The Accountant dropped 45%, while Kevin Hart: What Now? dipped 65% and Max Steel sank 69% and made only $334 a screen.

A24

NOTEWORTHY: Barry Jenkins’ Oscar buzzed about drama Moonlight from distributor A24, which is about a young African American coming to terms with his homosexuality, garnered over $100K per screen to rate as the best per screen title of the year to date.

Interesting that in its third weekend of play The Birth of a Nation (FSL) fell 67% after Fox Searchlight dumped over 1,400 theaters. It has only cumed $14.1M — so the controversy surrounding its filmmakers Nate Parker and Jean Celestin is lasting longer than the film’s run at the box office.

Here’s the final Top 20 chart:

1). Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween (LG), 2,260 theaters / Per Screen Average: $12,611 / 3-day cume: $28.4M / Wk 1

2). Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (PAR), 3,780 theaters / Per screen: $6,051 / 3-day cume: $22.8M / Wk 1

3). Ouija: Origin of Evil (UNI), 3,167 theaters / Per screen: $4,441 / 3-day cume: $14M / Wk 1

4). The Accountant (WB), 3,332 theaters (0) / 3-day cume: $13.6M (-45%) / Per screen: $4,095 / Total cume: $47.5M / Wk 2

5). The Girl on the Train (UNI/DW), 3,091 theaters (-150) / 3-day cume: $7.1M / Per screen: $2,318 / Total cume: $58.7M / Wk 3

6). Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children (FOX), 3,133 theaters (-702) / 3-day cume: $5.8M / Per screen: $1,882 / Total cume: $74.3M / Wk 4

7). Keeping Up With the Joneses (FOX), 3,022 theaters / Per screen: $1,807 / 3-day cume: $5.4M / Wk 1

8). Kevin Hart: What Now? (UNI), 2,568 theaters / 3-day cume: $4.1M (-65%) / Per screen: $1,604 / Total cume: $18.9M / Wk 2

9). Storks (WB), 2,145 theaters (-921) / $1M Fri. (-27%) / 3-day cume: $4M / Per screen: $1,866 / Total cume: $64.6M / Wk 5

10). Deepwater Horizon (LG), 2,828 theaters (-575) / 3-day cume: $3.3M / Per screen: $1,202 / Total cume: $55M / Wk 4

11). The Magnificent Seven (SONY), 1,979 theaters (-1,231) / 3-day cume: $2.2M / Per screen: $1,155 / Total cume: $89M / Wk 5

12). Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life (LGF), 1,772 theaters (-1,050) / 3-day cume: $2.1M / Per screen: $1,229 / Total cume: $16.8M / Wk 3

13). Sully (WB), 1,172 theaters (-1,039) / 3-day cume: $1.4M / Per screen: $1q,272 / Total cume: $120.8M / Wk 7

14). Denial (BST), 648 theaters (+552) / 3-day cume: $954K / Per screen: $1,472 / Total cume: $1.9M / Wk 4

15). I’m Not Ashamed (PURE), 505 theaters / Per screen: $1,836 / 3-day cume: $927K / Wk 1

16). The Birth of a Nation (FSL), 633 theaters (-1,472) / 3-day cume: $907K / Per screen: $1,434 / Total cume: $14.1M / Wk 3

17). Max Steel (OPRD), 2,034 theaters (0) / 3-day cume: $680K / Per screen: $334 / Total cume: $3.4M / Wk 2

18). Desierto (STX), 168 theaters (+95) / 3-day cume: $499K (-3%) / Per screen: $2,975 / Total cume: $1.1M / Wk 2

19). Moonlight (A24), 4 theaters / Per screen: $100,519 / 3-day cume: $402K / Wk 1

20). Suicide Squad (WB), 383 theaters (-247) / 3-day cume: $385K / Per screen: $1,006 / Total cume: $324.2M / Wk 12

Anita Busch compiled Monday’s box office report.

UPDATE with Monday write-thru, 7:52 AM: Madea who? Madea Boo! The latest up Tyler Perry’s sleeve is looking like $28.4 million this morning after pulling in strong attendance Sunday. With that kind of number, Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween ranks as the third-highest-grossing opening for a Madea film — behind the 2009 comedy Madea Goes To Jail and the 2006 Madea’s Family Reunion, which opened to $41M and $30M, respectively. Lionsgate is happy, while Paramount? Not so much. They are still squeezing money out of a second Tom Cruise-as-Jack Reacher franchise installment, and while Jack Reacher: Never Go Back is opening higher than the first one, we don’t anticipate the same legs as the 2012 film, which had the Christmas audience to keep it going. Remember, another Marvel title is on the horizon with Doctor Strange.

Paramount

Expect Jack Reacher 2 to land around around the low end of $22.7M-$23M because the male demo was watching football yesterday. Together, the two top films grossed more than $50M, which was good to push the box office up 18% over the same time last year.

Jack Reacher 2 is also bowing internationally in roughly 84% of its footprint, where it has pushed slightly past $30M. For those results and top territories for the film, see my colleague Nancy Tartaglione’s international box office report here. The first Reacher installment made about 63% of its box office from overseas audiences where Tom Cruise still packs a punch.

Can’t forget newcomer Michael Moore In TrumpLand, which opened Wednesday in two theaters. For per screen averages, see Brian Brooks’ Specialty Box Office report here.

Back to Madea: Gotta give Tyler Perry props for his ability to bring in fans consistently on first weekends. The question for Boo! next weekend is how strong it will hold, as traditionally there is a drop-off in the sophomore frame for Madea films. However, David Spitz, Lionsgate president of domestic theatrical distribution, thinks this time around will be different, as the film is clearly crossing over.

Lionsgate

“One thing that is interesting about this movie and it showed in the research initially and the exit polls pointed it out: We have more of a general audience this time around. Usually, on average, 80% to 90% of Tyler Perry films draw an African American audience and with Boo! its 60% African American and 32% Caucasian and Latinos,” said Spitz, who also noted that with Halloween coming up, the film is likely to get a nice boost in the marketplace. “Because we are playing out differently than other Tyler Perry films, I think we have a chance to over-perform on the second weekend.”

He said exit polls showed definite recommends at 83% and the film also got an A CinemaScore. (Traditionally, an A score produces an average 3.6 multiple). Working in its favor, too, is that it’s the only new comedy out there right now (can’t really count Keeping Up With The Joneses).

Lionsgate

How about a shout-out to Lionsgate’s president of production for motion pictures Mike Paseornek, who brought in Perry originally for Diary Of A Mad Black Woman 11 years ago and has helped shepherd the Lionsgate relationship with the filmmaker through 19 movies.

And, if you haven’t seen the hilarious Jimmy Fallon as Donald Trump calling Tyler Perry as Madea, it’s well worth your time. Watch it here.

Universal

Of the other two newcomers, the horror film Ouija: Origin Of Evil will sit right at $14M and with its C CinemaScore (pretty usual score for horror films these days, and the same as its predecessor). It will fall just a tad short of that first installment, which opened to $19.8M. This one cost a bit more, but if it performs at all like the last one overseas, Universal/Blumhouse/Platinum Dunes/Hasbro will do fine on the low-budgeted genre film. And next weekend taps Halloween audiences so expect less of a percentage drop. The first installment grossed over $100M worldwide and this one already grossed almost $8M this weekend overseas for a total haul of around $22M.

20th Century Fox/Fox 2000’s comedy Keeping Up With The Joneses fell on its face in its debut weekend with an estimated $5.3M, roughly a $1M lower opening than Relativity’s Masterminds. The not-so-funny comedy had a slow first act and then unfolded to nothing-we-haven’t-seen-before second and third acts.

RELATED: What Happened to The Joneses at the Box Office?

In their second weekends, The Accountant dropped about 44% and has a running total now of roughly $47.6M, while the concert film Kevin Hart: What Now? has a two-week estimated gross of $18.9M, falling 65%. Max Steel plummeted 74% in its sophomore frame after tanking last weekend. Its two-week total is expected at $3.4M.

Here’s the new chart based on Sunday estimates:

1). Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween (LG), 2,260 theaters / $9.4M Fri. (includes $855K previews) / $11.7M Sat. (+24%) / $6.45M Sun. (-45%) / 3-day cume: $28M+ / Wk 1

2). Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (PAR), 3,780 theaters / $8.8M Fri. (includes $1.325M previews) / $8.78M Sat. (-1%) / $5.2M Sun. (-40%) / 3-day cume: $22M+ /Wk 1

3). Ouija: Origin Of Evil (UNI), 3,167 theaters / $5.5M Fri. (includes $722K previews) / $5.5M Sat. (+1%) / $3M Sun. (-45%) / 3-day cume: $14M / Wk 1

4). The Accountant (WB), 3,332 theaters (0) / $4.4M Fri. (-52%) / $5.87M Sat. (+34%) / $3.5M Sun. (-40%) / 3-day cume: $13.78M (-44%) / Total cume: $47.6M / Wk 2

5). The Girl On The Train (UNI/DW), 3,091 theaters (-150) / $2.3M Fri. (-40%) / $3.1M Sat. (+31%) / $1.86M Sun. (-40%) / 3-day cume: $7.3M / Total cume: $58.9M / Wk 3

6). Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children (FOX), 3,133 theaters (-702) / $1.6M Fri. (-31%) / $2.6M Sat. (+64%) /$1.7M Sun. (-35%) / 3-day cume: $5.9M / Total cume: $74.3M / Wk 4

7). Keeping Up With The Joneses (FOX), 3,022 theaters / $1.9M Fri. (includes $300K previews) / $2.2M Sat. (+15%) / $1.3M Sun. (-40%) / 3-day cume: $5.3M / Wk 1

9). Storks (WB), 2,145 theaters (-921) / $1M Fri. (-27%) / $1.8M Sat. (+80%) / $1.3M Sun. (-30%) / 3-day cume: $4M / Total cume: $64.7M / Wk 5

8). Kevin Hart: What Now? (UNI), 2,568 theaters / $1.3M Fri. (-72%) / $1.78M Sat. (+32%) / $980K Sun. (-45%) / 3-day cume: $4.1M (-65%) / Total cume: $18.8M / Wk 2

10). Deepwater Horizon (LG), 2,828 theaters (-575) / $1.1M Fri. (-41%) / $1.5M (+41%) Sat. / $940K Sun. (-40%) / 3-day cume: $3.59M / Total cume: $55.2M / Wk 4

Anita Busch compiled Sunday’s report.

UPDATE, Saturday, 11:22 PM: Strong matinees turned into a formidable Saturday night for Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween as the Lionsgate film rose 20% from Friday night to take an estimated $11.3M, which means its three-day cume is now hovering around $26.8M to $27M+ (figuring in a strong Sunday). Paramount’s Jack Reacher: Never Go Back will chase in about $8.5M after dropping roughly 4% Saturday following flat matinee business. The estimated cume is around what we were hearing this afternoon — $22.7M. That will mark a better opening than the first one in 2012 which bowed to $15.2M in its opening weekend before taking a total of $80M domestically and $218.3M worldwide. But we don’t expect a domestic performance like that this time around. Paramount is claiming a $60M production budget and all eyes will be on international results tomorrow as the film bowed in 40+ countries; the 2012 original made 63% of its over all box office overseas on the strength of its star Tom Cruise.

There are two other newcomers this weekend: the horror flick Ouija: Origin of Evil which is on track for about a $14M weekend for its gang of Universal, Blumhouse, Platinum Dunes and Hasbro after getting a bump in the night (+3%).

But the Joneses just can keep up with the pack … or even its earlier estimates. The results for the Fox 2000 comedy Keeping Up With the Jones is anything but funny as it is playing behind Fox’s other film Miss Peregrine Home for Peculiar Children … in its fourth week. Expect a weekend take of only around $5.2M. For a deeper analysis of what went wrong with the Joneses, read the story here.

That’s how it looks tonight, more in the AM.

Anita Busch compiled the Saturday PM report.

Write-thru, Sat. 7:42 AM and 1:13 PM: Weekend ticket sales have been sliding since Labor Day. But not this weekend.

Friday night became fight night between the two newcomers — Lionsgate’s Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween ($24.5M to $25M+) and Paramount’s Tom Cruise vehicle Jack Reacher: Never Go Back ($22M to $23M), but so far this Saturday, Tyler Perry has pushed Tom Cruise aside the No. 1 box office spot. The two films have spurred this weekend’s stubs to at least $120M, a 24% boost over last FSS’s tally.

Madea notched up last night and is continuing on that path today as Lionsgate seems to be pulling in younger crowds to what is considered an older-skewing property. Jack Reacher 2 has the benefit of being in about 1,500 more theaters than Madea but last night it didn’t seem to matter as Madea Halloween scared up $9.4M compared to Reacher‘s $8.8M and trumped (oh, that word!) the actioner with an A CinemaScore compared to the Cruise starrer’s B+.

Matinees today show Madea’s Halloween rolling along nicely while Reacher is pretty flat. A big 95% of moviegoers gave Madea’s Halloween an A or B CinemaScore while older females made up the majority of the audience and pushed the A Score. Older males and an older audience in general (88% were 25 and older) came to judge Jack Reacher.

With two other major studio releases in the mix, raising this weekend’s wide release count to four, doesn’t that just cannibalize business? Apparently not, as there’s something on the marquee for every demographic, and it’s these types of weekends that distribution executives consider to be ideal moviegoing periods.

Warner Bros.’ Ben Affleck drama The Accountant looks to be holding at a fantastic -39% to 42% for a second weekend of about $14M to $15M, which percent wise is close to the second weekend of his sophomore feature directorial The Town. Its cume after two weeks should tally around $48.5M. Universal/Blumhouse/Platinum Dunes/Hasbro’s Ouija: Origins of Evil, a destination for young women, is projected to turn in around $13M, which is still fine for a horror title that carries a microbudget of $9M. Ouija 2 gets a C, just like it’s predecessor. However, Ouija 2‘s debut is about 35% off from the first chapter.

The only title getting bruised is Fox 2000/20th Century Fox’s comedy Keeping Up With the Joneses which if its weekend estimates of $5.4M hold up, will (gulp) open about a million dollars lower than Relativity’s previous Zach Galifianakis PG-13 comedy ensemble disaster, Masterminds ($6.5M). Joneses received the same CinemaScore as Masterminds: B-. But the competition isn’t killing Joneses. At one point, before the Greg Mottola-directed comedy went back for reshoots, Joneses had a dream release date: April 1. What was so special about the post-Easter frame? Joneses was the only major studio release then, and when it moved off, there were none. Oddly enough had Joneses remained on April 1, it would have given its actress Gal Gadot three wide releases in a four week corridor wedged between Batman v. Superman on March 25 and Criminal on April 15, the latter of which wasn’t a B.O. winner for her).

By planting Joneses on this weekend, Fox was trying to counterprogram Jack Reacher 2 by going after upscale, date night crowds; in addition they believed they could be the broad comedy for some weeks. But as a wise former major studio distribution chief use to say regularly, “Great movies rise to the occasion at the box office” and Joneses just isn’t that great with critics blasting it with a 17% Rotten Tomatoes score. To what degree do critics loathe Joneses? New York Times critic Ben Kenigsberg yelled, “One way to end the scourge of ‘TV is better than film’ articles is to stop making movies like Keeping Up With the Joneses, a pedestrian comedy that almost seems intended as evidence for the cause.”

In terms of stunts, twists and explosions, the Jack Reacher franchise is no Mission: Impossible, and the reason why Paramount went ahead and made a sequel (which is based on Lee Childs’ novels) was because the first film generated 63% of its global ticket sales overseas or $138.2M (Cruise fare always does well abroad too). The 2012 release earned an A- CinemaScore and yielded a 5.2 multiple stateside of $80M because of the Christmas holiday corridor and garnered about $218.3M worldwide. Like we said earlier, Jack Reacher 2 gets a B+, but lacks the year-end foot traffic. However, with an opening in this range and that CinemaScore, it could pull off a 3x multiple, at least that’s the average.

Reacher 2 opens this weekend also in over 40 markets internationally, which will represent about 75% of the film’s footprint overseas.

Despite the fact that Jack Reacher is destination for older guys, Paramount promoted this sequel so aggressively, you’d think it was a five quad film. A bulk of their marketing was centered around mass-appealing sporting events. There was a Summer Olympics stunt on Aug. 10 across broad and digital that reached 26M people. Jack Reacher 2 media was featured in over 25 stadiums (NFL and NHL). There was the first-ever NFL co-branded Draft Kings partnership with a mobile and desktop takeover of custom Jack Reacher content.

On Sept. 20, the studio celebrated National Punch Day by installing punch standees with key partners in high traffic locations across the country; total reach was 11.4M. In addition on that day, Paramount dropped an 8-bit digital game Jack Reacher: Never Stop Punching via the web and Google Play.

Given that Reacher is an ex-military cop, Paramount obviously went after the military crowd. Pic’s co-star Cobie Smulders visited Fort Belvoir in Virginia on Oct. 15 where she hosted a special screening of the film for the hundreds of women enlisted on the base. The outdoor campaign was aimed at 15 military markets.

In partnership with LA-based pop art Gallery 1988, the studio commissioned posters that portray Jack Reacher’s badass demeanor which were then distributed online to fans.

Jack Reacher 2 had the second largest social media universe of 100.2M out of all the releases this weekend, filing after Madea which clocked 117.5M. Key in regards to spreading the word is the film’s star and master promoter Cruise, who continually talked up the movie to his 17.3M social media fans across Twitter and Facebook and has gone around the globe showing off the film in its production location of New Orleans, as well as Beijing, London and future stops in Berlin, South Korea and Japan. RelishMix reports “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back may not have that viral clip or that amazing effects-driven mobile app.

What the movie does have is Tom Cruise, and like so many of his other projects, this super-star is all in. He posted a video on Wednesday alerting the fans on Facebook that he’ll be on the red carpet Thursday and the clip clocked 1M views and counting. The Facebook page for Jack Reacher 2 has 555K Fans, just to put that view count in perspective.”

Notable items online included James Corden’s Role Call from The Late Late Show, whereby the host and Cruise reenacted scenes from his canon. The clip drew 2.6M views in the last 24 hours. Jack Reacher author Lee Childs also took over @Goodreads Twitter handle for a Q&A and the first-ever digital book signing.

Even though it was announced back in January that there was another Madea movie, the news actually set in when Perry took the stage at CinemaCon to show off the Boo trailer. To generate word of mouth for Boo, during his tour the filmmaker would show the trailer. Perry told exhibitors at the Las Vegas confab how another Madea movie came to fruition: “In Chris Rock’s movie Top Five, he jokes about a Madea Halloween movie selling out with a line down the block. So I got a call from Lionsgate executives who thought it was a good idea.”

Boo, which carries a production cost of $20M, has 11 days to make good at the B.O.. Interestingly enough, that’s a similar release plan that Lionsgate implemented with the last movie, 2013’s A Madea Christmas. That movie opened on Dec. 13 – 12 days before Christmas – and during that time made 67% of its total $52.5M. And duly note, these holiday titles, particularly beloved Tyler Perry ones, are evergreens for the Lionsgate film library.

RelishMix observes – and again this is why Boo has a shot at beating Jack Reacher 2 this weekend – that Perry cast YouTube stars Fousey and Lexy Panterra (known for her twerking vids) in the movie. These celebrities are gold with the under 25 crowd and further cross-promoted Boo across their official pages. But while word of mouth is positive overall on social for Boo, RelishMix also notices that the YouTube stars may create a polarizing element among the franchise’s fans, who are turned off by the casting of Fousey. Boo! lands a solid A for tonight, which beats the A- earned by Perry’s last movie, 2014’s The Single Moms Club ($15.97M) and Madea Christmas.

Among specialty releases, A24’s Moonlight from director Barry Jenkins is just crushing it, bound to rank as the year’s second best opening theater average with an estimated $96K to $110K after Mike Birbiglia’s pic about improv comedy, Don’t Think Twice which earned $92K per site. Moonlight‘s four-day of $331K is going to whip its fellow TIFF competition title American Pastoral from Lionsgate which is dying with an estimated $3K per screen at 50 sites. Moonlight has a 99% certified fresh grade from RT, while American Pastoral is suffering from an 18% Rotten rating.

Anthony D’Alessandro wrote Friday reports with Saturday AM/PM and Sunday and Monday AM updates by Anita Busch

Industry-reported weekend estimates for Oct. 21-23 as of Saturday afternoon. Here’s the new rankings:



1). Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween (LG), 2,260 theaters / $9.4M Fri. (includes $855K previews) / 3-day cume: $24.5M to $25M+ / Wk 1

2). Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (PAR), 3,780 theaters / $8.78M Fri. (includes $1.325M previews) / 3-day cume: $22M to $23M /Wk 1

3). The Accountant (WB), 3,332 theaters (0) / $4.4M Fri. (-52%) / 3-day cume: $14M to $15M (-39% to 42%) / Total cume: $47.8M to $49M / Wk 2

4). Ouija: Origin of Evil (UNI), 3,167 theaters / $5.5M Fri. (includes $722K previews) / 3-day cume: $13M+ / Wk 1

5). The Girl on the Train (UNI/DW), 3,091 theaters (-150) / $2.3M Fri. (-40%) / 3-day cume: $7.39M (-40%) / Total cume: $59M / Wk 3

6). Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children (FOX), 3,133 theaters (-702) / $1.6M Fri. (-31%) / 3-day cume: $6.1M (-31%) / Total cume: $74.7M / Wk 4

7). Keeping Up With the Joneses (FOX), 3,022 theaters / $1.9M Fri. (includes $300K previews) / 3-day cume: $5.4M / Wk 1

8). Storks (WB), 2,145 theaters (-921) / $1M Fri. (-27%) / 3-day cume: $4M+ (-26% to 29%) / Total cume: $64.7M / Wk 5

9). Deepwater Horizon (LG), 2,828 theaters (-575) / $1.1M Fri. (-41%) / 3-day cume: $3.8M (-40%) / Total cume: $55.6M/ Wk 4

10). Kevin Hart: What Now? (UNI), 2,568 theaters / $1.3M Fri. (-72%) / 3-day cume: $3.9M to $4.1M (-65% to 67%) / Total cume: $18.8M / Wk 2

NOTABLES:

I’m Not Ashamed (PURE), 505 theaters / $330K Fri. / 3-day cume: $890K to $1M / Wk 1

Max Steel (OR), 2,034 theaters / $164K Fri. (-73%) / 3-day cume: $525K (-76%) / Total cume: $3.28M / Wk 2

Moonlight (A24), 4 theaters / $131K Fri. / Per Screen Average: $96K to $110K / 3-day cume: $390K to $440K / Wk 1

Desierto (STX), 168 theaters (+95) / $112K Fri. (-24%) / 3-day cume: $370K to $410K (-20% to 28%) / Total cume: $1M / Wk 2

American Pastoral (LG), 50 theaters / $44K Fri. / Per screen: $2,700K to $3K / 3-day cume: $134K to $150K / Wk 1

The Handmaiden (MAG/AMZ), 5 theaters / $22K Fri. / Per screen: $13K / 3-day cume: $67K / Wk 1

Anita Busch reported on the Saturday morning grosses.

Friday Night chart:

1). Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (PAR), 3,780 theaters / $9.08M Fri. (includes $1.325M previews) / 3-day cume: $24.6M /Wk 1

2). Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween (LG), 2,260 theaters / $9.15M Fri. (includes $855K previews)/3-day cume: $23.7M / Wk 1

3). The Accountant (WB), 3,332 theaters (0) / $4.5M Fri. (-50%)/3-day cume: $15M (-39%)/Total: $48.9M/ Wk 2

4). Ouija: Origin of Evil (UNI), 3,167 theaters / $5.3M Fri. (includes $722K previews)/3-day cume: $12.6M / Wk 1

5). The Girl on the Train (UNI/DW), 3,091 theaters (-150) / $2.4M Fri. (-38%)/ 3-day cume: $7.7M (-37%)/Total: $59.3M/ Wk 3

6). Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children (FOX), 3,133 theaters (-702) / $1.6M Fri. (-31%) 3-day cume: $6.4M (-28%)/Total: $74.8M/Wk 4

7). Keeping Up With the Joneses (FOX), 3,022 theaters / $$2.1M Fri. (includes $300K previews)/3-day cume: $6M / Wk 1

8). Storks (WB), 2,145 theaters (-921) / $1.1M Fri. (-22%)/3-day cume: $4.4M(-22%) /Total: $65M/ Wk 5

9). Deepwater Horizon (LG), 2,828 theaters (-575) / $1.1M Fri. (-39%)/ 3-day cume: $4M (-38%)/Total: $55.6M/ Wk 4

10). Kevin Hart: What Now? (UNI), 2,568 theaters / $1.3M Fri. (-72%)/3-day cume: $3.9M (-67%)/Total: $18.7M/ Wk 2

NOTABLES:

I’m Not Ashamed (PURE), 505 theaters / $280k Fri./ 3-day cume: $892k / Wk 1

Max Steel (OR), 2,034 theaters / $147k Fri. (-77%)/ 3-day cume: $546k (- 75%)/Total: $3.3M /Wk 2

Moonlight (A24), 4 theaters / $110K Fri./PTA: $82,8k / 3-day cume: $331k / Wk 1

Desierto (STX), 168 theaters (+95)/ $73k Fri.(-50%)/ 3-day cume: $271K (-47%)/Total: $917k/ Wk 2

American Pastoral (LG), 50 theaters /$37K Fri/PTA: $2,25k/ 3-day cume: $112K / Wk 1

The Handmaiden (MAG/AMZ), 5 theaters /PTA: $12,6k/ 3-day cume: $63K / Wk 1

PREVIOUS, Friday 11:50 AM: We might have to wait until Saturday night to see who’ll win this box office wrestling match: Paramount/Skydance’s Jack Reacher: Never Go Back or Lionsgate’s Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween. Off of midday matinees, both are looking at an estimated $8 million Friday with both on course for a $21M-$22M weekend.

Yes, Jack Reacher 2 ($60M production cost) is in 1,520 more theaters than Madea ($20M production cost), but some think that the old lady, who typically skews to adults, is also luring the young crowd. Jack Reacher 2 is currently booked at 3,780 locations, while Madea is planted at 2,260. The Accountant finished up strong on the West Coast last weekend, and Jack Reacher 2 could do the same. Madea has Sunday business in its favor among African American women as the demo typically attends the cinema after church services.

Working against Jack Reacher 2 this weekend: the Cubs-Dodgers playoff game Saturday and Week 7 of the NFL season Sunday. Still, anything north of $20M for Jack Reacher 2 is within Cruise’s mean, and a definite improvement on the first film’s $15M opening. The question is this title’s legs since Jack Reacher flew to a 5.2x multiple with $80M. As of this morning on Fandango, Madea was pushing ahead of Jack Reacher 2 in advance ticket sales.

Universal/Blumhouse/Platinum Dunes/Hasbro’s Ouija: Origin Of Evil is the cheapest of the four wide releases at an estimated cost of $9M, and it’s looking at $5.5M-$6M for today and $14M for the weekend, which is 30% off from the debut of the 2014 installment. PG-13 horror films means younger women under 25 will be there.

Then there’s 20th Century Fox’s Keeping Up With The Joneses who rival sources tell us looks a lot like Masterminds in its ticket sales, meaning a $6.5M weekend, possibly $7M, with $2M-$2.5M for today. The Jon Hamm-Zach Galifianakis-Gal Gadot-Isla Fisher ensemble cost an estimated $40M before P&A.

PREVIOUS, 7 AM: Paramount is reporting $1.325M at 2,850 for its Tom Cruise sequel Jack Reacher: Never Go Back last night. That preview figure is slightly above the $1.1M that Cruise’s Oblivion made from midnight shows, and under the $1.8M posted by his June 2014 sci-fi title Edge of Tomorrow.

The Melrose lot is specifically comping Jack Reacher 2 to recent fall previews such as The Accountant ($1.35M) and Girl on the Train ($1.23M), both of which opened north of $20M. That’s the high-end of projections for this Tom Cruise sequel, and if it notches that number, it will mark an improvement on the first Jack Reacher which debuted to $15.2M during the pre-Christmas weekend in 2012. Edge of Tomorrow opened to $28.76M (again, it was a summer), while Oblivion blasted off to $37M, making it Cruise’s best debut outside of summer. Current Rotten Tomatoes score for Jack Reacher 2 is a bad 37% rotten, which is below the 62% fresh rating of the first chapter. Jack Reacher‘s 2 RT is also below the 51% that critics gave to The Accountant last weekend.

Lionsgate has Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween which pulled in $855K last night at 1,800 locations. Pic expands to 2,260. Reports had Boo! rivaling Jack Reacher 2, but from the look of these previews, it may be filing right behind that Edward Zwick-directed sequel in the mid teens. In regards to comps, Boo! outpegs last Thursday’s Kevin Hart: What Now? which pulled in $739K and last April’s Barbershop: The Next Cut which made $735K. What Now? drew $4.7M on its Friday and $11.76M weekend, while Next Cut was higher with $7M Friday, and a $20.2M weekend. The last Madea move was in A Madea Christmas in Dec. 2013 which opened to $16M.

Universal/Blumhouse/Platinum Dunes/Habro’s sequel Ouija: Origin of Evil drew $722K from showtime starting at 7PM at 2,371 venues. The sequel to the 2014 PG-13 horror film was projected to make $15M according to tracking, but it’s a very competitive weekend at the B.O. with a total of four wide releases. The first Ouija which also opened in the pre-Halloween weekend rang up $911K on its Thursday night before grossing $8.3M Friday and $19.87M opening weekend. Origin of Evil‘s ticket sales last night are also slightly lower than the $765K that Blair Witch made on its preview night before tanking at $9.6M. Off of 55 reviews, Origin of Evil has an RT of 81%. Pic cost an estimated $9M before P&A.

Among films already in play, Warner Bros.’ The Accountant was No. 1 last night with $2M, +9% from Wednesday, and a first week’s gross of $33.89M. DreamWorks/Universal’s The Girl on the Train placed second with $1.1M, also +9%, and a running two week cume of $51.6M.

Keeping Up With the Joneses from 20th Century Fox didn’t do so hot last night with $300K at 2,400 locations. The comedy which stars Zach Galifianakis, Jon Hamm, Gal Gadot and Isla Fisher isn’t expected to fare well this weekend with a FSS in the $6M-$8M range.