The vastly superior sequel to the biggest hit in a 9-film franchise hurtling towards a 75% nosedive at the box office

By all accounts, an R-rated sequel opening above $30 million in the current climate can’t be viewed as anything other than an absolute win, and while that’s very much true in the case of The Nun II, it can’t be overlooked that the ninth installment in The Conjuring Universe is lagging well behind its predecessor.

The opener hauled in a massive $54 million during its opening weekend five years ago, and it would go on to become the highest-grossing entry in horror’s most lucrative franchise after ringing up $365 million globally. Of course, it also happens to be the worst-reviewed of the entire roster, but that didn’t really seem to dissuade paying customers from opening their wallets and shelling out.

The Nun II is comfortably going to top the domestic charts this weekend with a debut in the $31-34 million range, but that’s a hefty drop of over 74 percent when compared to its predecessor should it wind up on the lower end of those projections. It’s still going to be hugely profitable at the end of the day, but a significant lull in earnings could be a warning sign that James Wan’s supernatural brainchild could be starting to run out of gas.

Horror remains as bankable as it gets, and when we’re talking about a saga that’s soared past $2.1 billion in total takings already, then it’s hardly as if the end is nigh. And yet, an 88 percent rise in acclaim on Rotten Tomatoes that’s seen approval ratings rise from 24 to 45 percent between The Nun and its follow-up on Rotten Tomatoes while ticket sales plummet almost as steeply is something worth keeping an eye on.