Lionsgate’s Jigsaw dominated the competition at the pre-Halloween box office, with a $16.3 million debut from 2,941 theaters.
But not even Jigsaw could escape the October slump striking the multiplex, with revenue for the month down more than 13 percent over last year, according to comScore.
Jigsaw, reviving the marquee Saw horror franchise, was expected to open to $20 million or more. However, Halloween preparations, the debut of Stranger Things 2 on Netflix and the World Series were all major distractions.
Directed by Michael and Peter Spierig, Jigsaw picks up a decade after the death of the eponymous killer when police are puzzled by murders matching his signature moves.
Matt Passmore, Callum Keith Rennie, Cle Bennett and Hannah Emily Anderson star in the R-rated movie, which earned a B CinemaScore. (The marketing campaign for Jigsaw included a national blood drive that collected over 125,000 pints.)
