Box office

CONJURING THE WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: In one of those midsummer competitions that happens every so often, a low-budget horror movie trounced all the blockbusters and animated features. Other than Warner Bros., which picked up The Conjuring, the only studio with cause for even mild celebration is Universal, whose Despicable Me 2 held up reasonably well in its third week.

1. The Conjuring (WB) – $41.5m, 2,903 theaters/$14,306 avg. (debut)
2. Despicable Me 2 (Uni) – $25m (-42.9%), 3,820 theaters/$6,560 avg. (week 3)
3. Turbo (Fox) –$21.5m, 3,806 theaters/$5,649 avg. (debut)
4. Grown Ups 2 (Sony) –$20m (-51.8%), 3,491 theaters/$5,729 avg. (week 2)
5. Red 2 (Lionsgate) – $18.5m, 3,016 theaters/avg. $6,134 (debut)

In its second week, WB’s Pacific Rim just missed the Top 5, dropping 57.2% and looking like a non-starter in the U.S. despite its spectacular visuals. Universal’s debuting R.I.P.D. lived down to the snarky headlines it had generated up front (one said it should’ve been titled R.I.P), earning just $12.8m. The activity level should improve this Friday, when Fox comes with The Wolverine. (7/22a)