Given the commercial success Split has been experiencing, the filmmaker should have no trouble getting backing for his forthcoming film. Per Variety, the past three days marked the third straight weekend that the film has topped the domestic box office. With $98.7 million in Stateside revenue alone, Split is the highest-grossing horror film since 2013’s The Conjuring, as Vulture points out, wiping the floor with the other horror films in competition this past weekend: Rings, which debuted on Friday to widespread critical derision and has since earned back barely half of its $25 million budget. In contrast, Shyamalan’s film, made with just $9 million, raked in $40 million during its opening weekend.
Many have been calling Split Shyamalan’s comeback film, and not without reason. Elegantly lensed by It Follows cinematographer Mike Gioulakis and featuring a delightfully unhinged, protean performance by McAvoy, the movie is a rare showing of January/February filmmaking strength. This high in film quality may very well continue into this next week, as early reviews for John Wick: Chapter 2 and The Lego Batman have been filled with praise. And of course, Split itself won’t be leaving theaters anytime soon. Read Paste’s review of the film here, and stay tuned for more details on the potential sequel.
