'The Conjuring' is doing its part for the horror genre

'Last Rites' sequel rakes in $83 million domestically in its opening weekend.

- ITZEL LUNA

VERA FARMIGA in a scene from Warner Bros.' "The Conjuring: Last Rites."

It’s the year for horror, and “The Conjuring: Last Rites” was no exception. Its opening weekend tipped the genre over $1 billion in earnings for this year’s domestic box office.

The horror sequel raked in $83 million domestically in 3,802 theaters, making it the third-highest domestic opening for a horror movie, behind “It” and “It: Chapter Two.” It’s now the largest horror opening internationally, with $104 million in earnings outside of North American theaters.

The film also broke records for the “Conjuring” universe, securing the biggest opening weekend in the franchise. The movie's performance is a testament to the franchise’s success in producing horror classics since the first film released was in 2013, said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for the data firm Comscore.