Us Has a Terrifying Debut

Jordan Peele has done it again. Two years after the filmmaker's Get Out became a box-office sensation, his frightening follow-up, Us, debuted with $70.3 million in ticket sales, according to estimates Sunday. Us took over the top spot at the box office from Captain Marvel, which had reigned for two weeks; Only Captain Marvel has notched a bigger opening this year, notes Variety, with $153 million. The Marvel Studios superhero release slid to second place with $35 million in its third week.

But all eyes were on Peele in anticipation of his sophomore effort. In today's franchise-driven movie world, seldom has a young director been such a draw for moviegoers. Us also unseated A Quiet Place as the horror movie with the biggest opening. Peele is also breaking his own marks: Get Out opened with $33.4 million domestically before grossing $255.4 million on a $4.5 million budget. Us cost $20 million to make, meaning it's already a huge hit for Peele and Universal Pictures.

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