Horror Films Dominate Domestic Box Office

This weekend, horror films dominated the North American box office, with 'Smile 2' debuting at number one, earning an impressive $23 million. Directed by Parker Finn, the sequel stars Naomi Scott and capitalizes on the success of the original 'Smile,' which grossed over $217 million against a modest budget. In second place, 'The Wild Robot' crossed the $100 million mark, bringing in $10.1 million, while 'Terrifier 3' dropped to third with $9.3 million as it continues to draw audiences. The strong performance of these films comes amid a sharp decline for 'Joker: Folie à Deux,' which fell 69% in its third weekend. 'Smile 2' has garnered positive reviews, with an 83% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The trend of horror films performing well highlights changing audience preferences in the current cinematic landscape.