Latino Moviegoers Propelled Horror Flick ‘The Nun’ to No. 1 at the Box Office

Posted by NALIP on September 22, 2018

NALIP is proud to support Latinx actor and The Nun star Demián Bichir. As the conversation grows stronger, more major production studios are casting more actors of diverse backgrounds, with a increase in representation on the big screen.

Bichir's role in the horror blockbuster is concrete evidence of the power of inclusion, with Demian having participated in a 5 day junket in Mexico City and led the Latin press with a day of press in Miami. Breaking records since it's opening day, 36% of the Domestic Market for the "The Nun" was attributed to the Latinx community. Tom Molter, Head of International Distribution for Warner Brothers attributed the fact that The Nun is breaking records in Latin America to Demian being such a draw in this territory.

https://youtu.be/pzD9zGcUNrwrD

Breaking out into film, Bichir played Fidel Castro in Che and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his mesmerizing work in A Better Life. Bichir's roles also include starring in the FX series The Bridge, Quentin Tarantino's western film The Hateful Eight, and Alien: Covenant, the second prequel film of the Alien series

His directorial debut film, Un Cuento de Circo & A Love Song, premiered at the Morelia International Film Festival.

It is official: Demián Bichir is a box office powerhouse. As the ruggedly handsome priest Father Burke in The Nun, he now joins a long-running list of actors who have found success in the horror genre. But the success of this The Conjuring spin-off/prequel surely owes much to Bichir’s presence.

With its haul of $53 million, the Corin Hardy-directed film became the No. 1 movie in the country on opening weekend and earned the highest opening weekend box office for the entire Conjuring universe. That number puts it at the runner-up spot of all horror box office weekend openers while it remains the highest-ranking opening weekend of 2018 for non-tentpole or action flicks. And with a second weekend that found it as the No. 2 movie in the United States bringing its running total to $85 million, The Nun proved its success has only just begun.

Photo Courtesy of 'The Nun' still courtesy of Warner Bros.

Moreover, the horror drama that gives us backstory on the terrifying nun that haunted the bejeesus out of us in The Conjuring 2, has been a hit with Latino audiences. Compared to other markets, the film overperformed in Miami. Attendance in majority-Latino metro area was almost 4 percent higher than other cities — no doubt a result of Warner Bros hosting a Press Day in Miami with the Mexican actor that targeted regional and national Hispanic broadcast networks.

But the pattern held up nationwide where 36 percent of its audience was Latino, a full 10 points above what’s the norm for 2018 horror flicks. We’ll chalk it up partly to Bichir’s good looks and talents, but we wouldn’t be surprised if the Catholic angle didn’t also play a role. I’ll speak for myself but there are few things as terrifying as a creepy nun trying to kill me in an abandoned abbey in Transylvania, you know? Either way, it seems Hollywood has finally figured out a perfect way to lure Latinx moviegoers to go to their movies: actually casting Latino leads! I mean, I’m not saying that if Marvel cast a Latino superhero it would shatter all box office records, but I’m also not not saying that.

Demian Bichir on Playing the "James Bond of Souls" in 'The Nun'

Photo Courtesy of Araya Diaz/Getty

Horror fans lined the street outside of the TCL Theater for the premiere of the latest installment in The Conjuring Cinematic Universe.

As horror film fans on Tuesday night lined the streets outside the TCL Theater in Hollywood for the premiere of The Nun — the latest installment in The Conjuring series — the film’s stars, including Demian Bichir, Taissa Farmiga and Bonnie Aarons, walked the black carpet through a gauntlet of blank-faced nuns, some fake and some real, that would jump out at the cast as they took photos and stopped for interviews.

Bichir plays the film’s hero, Father Burke. The actor told The Hollywood Reporter that his character refused to be scared: “Father Burke is the James Bond of souls. He’s like the Dirty Harry of demons. You don’t mess with Father Burke unless you want to get bruised. Playing him, I was really into being very, very powerful and protected at all times with his armor around that comes from a bigger energy. So I was not only comfortable, but very calm and relaxed and happy.”

‘The Nun’s Stairway To Heaven: ‘Conjuring’ Universe Pic Soaring Past $200M Worldwide

Photo Courtesy of New Line

The Nun‘s spirit continues to move all over this land, and by the end of Sunday, will count a global box office running tally of $209.2M, which, when split up, will be $124M+ overseas and $85.2M domestic.