Practical Magic 2 breaks Spidey’s spell over North American box office

After the summer surge of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" and "The Odyssey," the box office is looking to regain momentum in September with the release of Warner Bros./Alcon's "Practical Magic 2." The sequel opened to a domestic gross of $30 million from 4,146 locations, bringing its worldwide total to $46 million. While this is lower than pre-release projections, the film faces a challenging task in turning a profit amidst a $75 million theatrical budget.

Critics have been largely unsympathetic, rating the film a 37% on Rotten Tomatoes, but the primarily millennial and Gen X female fanbase that propelled the original into a cult favorite has proved more supportive, giving "Practical Magic 2" strong audience scores, including a B+ on CinemaScore and 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, it remains to be seen whether these enthusiastic fans will translate their interest to a wider audience over the coming weekend.

If "Practical Magic 2" can find that key demographic, it may establish a niche for itself against other September releases like "Resident Evil" and "Forgotten Island," which have different primary demographics. In second place is Sony/Marvel Studios' "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," which has earned $8.4 million in its seventh weekend, bringing its domestic total to $935.1 million.

It is likely that the film will surpass "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" to claim the unadjusted record for the highest grossing film in the U.S. box office history on Monday. "The Odyssey" holds third place with $7.4 million from its ninth weekend, now totaling $600 million domestically after nine weeks and becoming Universal's highest unadjusted gross film to date.

Lastly, fourth place is claimed by Angel's "Runner," a new action film starring Alan Ritchson and Owen Willson, which has opened to $6.4 million in the U.S. from 2,568 locations. This film, about a former soldier tasked with defending a liver needed for a child's life-saving transplant from black market criminals, has received positive reviews with Rotten Tomatoes scores of 71% for critics and 89% for audiences, and an A- on CinemaScore.