Malcolm D. Lee’s Night School, starring Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish, topped the box office over the weekend with $28 million in receipts. The movie was budgeted at $29 million and follows Hart’s character as he tries to get his G.E.D., and Haddish’s teacher character as she refuses to cut him a break.
While the critical reception was lukewarm, the movie earned an A- from CinemaScore. Night School pulled the biggest comedy debut for a September movie, trailing only Sweet Home Alabama in 2002. The House With a Clock in Its Walls rounded out the top three with $12.5 million for its second weekend out, just a 53% drop over its debut.
Warner Bros. took the second slot with the animated Smallfoot, featuring the voice work of Channing Tatum, James Corden, Zendaya, LeBron James and Danny DeVito.
The Top 10 Movies at the Box Office, per ComScore:
1. “Night School,” $28 million ($5.5 million international).
2. “Smallfoot,” $23 million.
3. “The House With a Clock in Its Walls,” $12.5 million.
4. “A Simple Favor,” $6.6 million.
5. “The Nun,” $5.4 million.
6. “Hell Fest,” $5.1 million.
7. “Crazy Rich Asians,” $4.2 million.
8. “The Predator,” $3.7 million.
9. “White Boy Rick,” $2.4 million.
10. “Peppermint,” $1.8 million.
