Jordan Peele’s ‘Us’ scares up $70.3M debut

NEW YORK: Jordan Peele has done it again. Two years after the filmmaker’s “Get Out” became a box-office sensation, his frightening follow-up, “Us,” debuted with $70.3 million in ticket sales, according to estimates Sunday.

“Us” took over the top spot at the box office from “Captain Marvel,” which had reigned for two weeks. The Marvel Studios superhero release slid to second place with $35 million in its third week.

But all eyes were on Peele in anticipation of his sophomore effort. In today’s franchise-driven movie world, seldom has a young director been such a draw for moviegoers.

“Get Out” opened with $33.4 million domestically before grossing $255.4 million on a $4.5 million budget. “Us” cost $20 million to make, meaning it’s already a huge hit for Peele and Universal Pictures.