Paranormal thriller ‘The Conjuring 2’ tops Friday box office; ‘Warcraft’ fills China theaters

A sequel about married paranormal investigators, “The Conjuring 2,” ascended to the top of the Friday box office, outperforming runners-up “Warcraft” and “Now You See Me 2.”

The three debuts supplanted last week’s box-office leader “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows,” which landed in the fourth spot, followed by the Warner Bros. romance “Me Before You.”

“The Conjuring 2” earned an estimated $16.4 million overnight. The New Line/Warner Bros. film exceeded expectations while on its way to a projected $40 million opening weekend. Though hardly a disappointment, the sequel has a steep climb to reach the tally of its predecessor, which ultimately earned nearly $320 million worldwide.

Audiences liked the movie, which stars Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as believers working to exorcise demons from a home in North London. Like its predecessor, the second installment earned an A- from the polling firm CinemaScore. Reviews were mostly positive on the sequel as well. According to Rotten Tomatoes, 74% of critics recommended “The Conjuring 2.”

“Warcraft,” not so much. The big-budget action film, a co-production between Universal and Legendary, earned a paltry 27% favorable rating from Rotten Tomatoes. Nor did it overwhelm U.S. theaters, even if it fell in line with expectations. Directed by Duncan Jones, the film earned $10.7 million and is on track to hit a weekend total of $27 million.

The critical drubbing didn’t seem to bother Jones, who also directed the sci-fi film “Moon” (and is the son of David Bowie).

In a tweet posted Friday evening, Jones addressed the critics, writing, “If u loved ‘Warcraft,’ spread the word or better yet, bring someone new to see it! If not. No worries, but please chill out. It’s just a movie.’”

Jones has reason to remain calm. Fans mostly liked the film, according to CinemaScore’s B+ rating. Perhaps more important, despite its reported $160-million budget, the adaptation can hardly be considered a flop.

Based on the successful video game franchise “World of Warcraft,” the movie is cramming theaters in China, where fans helped turn the game into a billion-dollar blockbuster. Battalions of Chinese fans helped “Warcraft” pull in $144 million through the four days it’s been open there.

Landing in third at Friday’s box office was a sequel about a non-paranormal vanishing act. The Lionsgate film “Now You See Me 2” sees illusionist-criminals Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco and others attempting another magical heist. It earned a Friday box office estimated to be $8.4 million across 3,232 screens, and is on the way to a $24-million weekend. That number was on par with expectations.

Rounding out the Top 5 are two holdovers. Paramount’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows” landed in the fourth spot with an estimated $4 million Friday total. With the film showing on 4,017 screens, it earned just over $46 million in its first week, and is expected to make an additional $14 million over the weekend.

Amid all the summer action films, the modest romance “Me Before You” offered an alternative to the bombast. The MGM/New Line/Warner Bros. film, about a love born from tragedy, brought in an estimated $3 million on Friday, leading to a weekend projection of $9.3 million from its 2,762 domestic theaters.

randall.roberts@latimes.com