'Annabelle' scares up $35 million, jolting a sleepy weekend at the box office

New Line Cinema

NEW YORK (AP) — The "Conjuring" spinoff "Annabelle: Creation" scared up an estimated $35 million in North American theaters over the weekend, making it easily the top film and giving the lagging August box office a shot in the arm.

The opening came close to matching the film's predecessor, "Annabelle," which opened with $37.1 million in October 2014.

Warner Bros. could celebrate not only the month's biggest debut but also having the week's top two films.

Christopher Nolan's "Dunkirk" followed in second with $11.4 million in its fourth weekend according to studio estimates Sunday.

Last week's top film, the poorly received Stephen King adaptation "The Dark Tower," slid dramatically. It toppled nearly 70% on its second weekend with an estimated $7.9 million.

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