Jordan Peele’s horror-thriller Us opened massively with $7.4 million on Thursday night.
The figure easily topped Thursday preview numbers for “The Nun” at $5.4 million and “A Quiet Place” at $4.3 million and nearly matched “Halloween” at $7.7 million.
Projections for Peele’s much-anticipated follow-up to 2017’s “Get Out,” have been in the $38 million to $45 million range for the weekend as the film widens to 3,741 sites. Some forecasts call for a launch of as much as $50 million — which would easily surpass the opening weekend haul of “Get Out,” which debuted with $33 million and ended its theatrical run with $176 million in the U.S.
Us is also launching in 48 international markets, including France, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
“Us” stars Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke as a couple fighting off doppelgangers while vacationing with their children at a Northern California beach house.
The movie has generated strong buzz from critics since launching the 2019 South by Southwest film festival on March 8 and carries a 95% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
