A monster attends the Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation World Premiere of Goosebumps, October 4, 2015, in in Westwood, California. (AFP PHOTO /VALERIE MACON)
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- In just two weeks from Halloween, Sony's "Goosebumps" beat "The Martian" to win the box office race this week, taking in 23.5 million U.S. dollars in its opening weekend from 3,501 theaters in North America.
"Goosebumps" stars Jack Black as the famous writer R.L. Stine whose literary characters -- a collection of ghouls and ghosts -- escape from his books and wreak havoc on the world.
Audiences, 59 percent of whom were under the age of 25, gave the 3D horror-comedy directed by Rob Letterman a promising "A" on CinemaScore.
Ridley Scott's blockbuster "The Martian" remained a potent player in its third weekend, finishing in second place. It grossed 21.5 million dollars in estimated ticket sales from 3,701 locations to its 143.8 million dollars domestic haul, according to Rentrak.
Globally, the space epic gathered over 300 million dollars after weekend earnings of 37 million dollars from 74 markets. To date, its biggest offshore markets are the U.K., 27 million dollars, and South Korea, 21.6 million dollars.
A person dressed as a leprechaun monster and a woman dressed as a monster pose at the premiere of the film "Goosebumps," in Los Angeles, California October 4, 2015. (REUTERS/Danny Moloshok)
In a crowded week at the multiplexes, "Goosebumps" also won over other new releases, including Steven Spielberg's Cold War drama "Bridge of Spies" and Guillermo del Toro's troubled gothic romance "Crimson Peak."
The thriller "Bridge of Spies" debuted in third place with 15.4 million dollars estimated sales at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak.
The 40-million-dollar film starring Tom Hanks also received a strong "A" rating from first-night moviegoers on CinemaScore.
The R-rated gothic romance "Crimson Peak," starring Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain and Tom Hiddleston, opened in fourth place with 12.8 million dollars, according to Rentrak.
