'The Nun' proves part of a winning habit in theaters  

LOS ANGELES - AFP

Horror movie "The Nun" was the top draw in North American movie theaters this weekend, extending a remarkable string of recent successes by Warner Bros., industry watchers said.           

"The Nun," the latest scary feature in the popular "Conjuring" series, took in an estimated $53.5 million for the three-day weekend, box office tracker Exhibitor Relations said. British director Corin Hardy had made his name with 2015 horror film "The Hallow."

"Nun" stars Demian Bichir, Taissa Farmiga and Jonas Bloquet in a story about a young nun, an exorcist and a guide stumbling onto a dark secret deep in Dracula country: the Romania of 1952 -- Transylvania, no less.

"Nun" bumped another Warner product, "Crazy Rich Asians," to second place after three strong weekends at the top. The glitzy rom-com, with its nearly all-Asian cast led by Henry Golding and Constance Wu, took in $13.6 million.

Taken together with another Warner film, "The Meg," the studio has now claimed the top two spots on the North American box office for four consecutive weekends, a feat no movie studio had accomplished in 25 years, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

"The Meg," starring Jason Statham as a rescue diver confronting a huge, prehistoric shark, placed fourth this weekend, taking in $6 million, behind new vigilante action film "Peppermint," which grossed $13.3 million.

"Peppermint," from STX Films, stars Jennifer Garner as a mother seeking revenge against the drug cartel she blames for killing her husband and daughter.

And in fifth spot was Sony thriller "Searching," starring John Cho as a man desperate to find his missing teenage daughter. It took in $4.5 million.