Tyler Perry’s Madea Holds Off Inferno, Doctor Strange Big Overseas

After topping Jack Reacher: Never Go Back last weekend, Tyler Perry’s Madea held off another newcomer, the Ron Howard-directed Inferno. Meanwhile, Marvel Studios launched the international release of Doctor Strange and the results were impressive.

At the North American box office, Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween (Lionsgate) added $16.7 million in first place for a two-week total of $52 million. The comedy, which was made for just $20 million, co-stars Bella Thorne, Cassi Davis, Patrice Lovely, Andre Hall, Yousef Erakat, Lexy Panterra, Diamond White, Liza Koshy, Brock O’Hurn, Jimmy Tatro, JC Caylen, Kian Lawley and Mike Tornabene.

In second place, Columbia Pictures’ Inferno grossed an estimated $15 million from 3,576 theaters for an average of $4,195 per theater. Audiences gave the $75 million-budgeted film a B+ CinemaScore. Directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks and Felicity Jones, the adaptation of the Dan Brown book is performing better overseas. With a successful launch in China and Japan this weekend, Inferno added $29.1 million and has earned $132 million internationally.

As they have done for years now, Marvel Studios started rolling out Doctor Strange internationally first on October 25 and the film has already earned $86 million overseas. Disney says the opening is 49% ahead of Ant-Man, 37% ahead of Guardians of the Galaxy, 23% ahead of Captain America: Winter Soldier and 1% ahead of Thor: The Dark World. The top-performing territories were Korea with $18.1 million, the UK with $11.1 million, and France with $5.7 million.

Doctor Strange opened on 213 IMAX screens in 32 countries, producing record results with an estimated weekend of $7.8 million. With only select territories launching the film, Doctor Strange became IMAX’s all-time biggest October opening internationally, more than doubling the previous record (Gravity with $3.2 million). Next week, Doctor Strange opens at another 787+ IMAX locations in 34 additional territories globally, including North America and China. This will make Doctor Strange the all-time widest IMAX release globally, and marks the first time a film will play on 1000+ IMAX screens.

Doctor Strange opens in the US/Canada on November 4. Next weekend also sees openings in Russia (wide), Brazil and China along with Croatia, Hungary, Israel, Lebanon, Slovakia, Slovenia, Norway, South Africa, Turkey, India, Ecuador, Trinidad, Panama, Uruguay, Paraguay, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia and Venezuela. The film doesn’t open in Japan until January 27.

Back in North America, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (Paramount) declined a hefty 58.2% in ticket sales to drop to third place with $9.6 million. The sequel has earned a total of just $39 million after two weeks. The first 2012 film reached $80 million domestically and $138.3 million overseas for a global total of $218 million. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, directed by Edward Zwick and starring Tom Cruise and Cobie Smulders, was made for about $60 million.

Remaining in fourth place was Warner Bros.’ The Accountant, directed by Gavin O’Connor and starring Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick and J.K. Simmons. The action-thriller grossed $8.5 million its third weekend for a total of $61.3 million so far. Internationally, The Accountant earned $7.9 million and its total is up to $20.7 million. The film was made for $44 million.

Rounding out the top five was Universal Pictures’ Ouija: Origin of Evil with $7.1 million and a total of $24.6 million. Directed by Mike Flanagan, Ouija: Origin of Evil has also earned $19.1 million overseas. The first film made $50 million domestically and $52.7 million internationally for a global total of $103.6 million.