Disney’s theatrical release of the filmed “Hamilton” and the nationwide roll-out of the animated faith-based feature “Light of the World” helped round out a weekend led by “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” which opened to an estimated $83 million domestically. “Hamilton” debuted to about $10 million, while “Light of the World” entered the top 10 with roughly $2.4 million, illustrating how specialty and religious titles can bolster multiplex lineups during horror-driven frames.
Disney positioned “Hamilton” as a big-screen 10th-anniversary event following its 2020 streaming debut, adding new interview material with the original cast and setting a global theatrical cadence through the fall. The studio dated the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico release for September 5, with additional territories to follow later this month and in November.
“Light of the World,” produced and distributed by the Salvation Poem Project, presents the life of Jesus in hand-drawn 2D animation from directors Tom Bancroft and John J. Schafer. The film opened wide across more than 2,000 theaters and took ninth place for the Sept. 5–7 frame, a result that underscores the reach of faith-oriented fare in off-peak corridors. Early tallies put its opening around $2.4 million.
Industry trackers noted that the weekend’s strength came chiefly from “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” which set franchise-best marks and added momentum to a year already buoyed by horror. At the same time, “Hamilton” and “Light of the World” supplied counterprogramming that kept a broader mix of moviegoers engaged—a point echoed by IndieWire’s box-office analysis highlighting under-the-radar titles in the top 10. YTD figures point to modest improvement over 2024, aided by consistent genre wins and eventized rereleases.
