'Goosebumps' tops the weekend box office with $23.5 million

It looks like everyone is in the Halloween spirit as Sony's "Goosebumps" tops the domestic box office this weekend with an estimated $23.5 million, according to BoxOffice.com.

Starring Jack Black as a wicked version of legendary author R.L. Stine, the film features the author and a group of kids trying to save their town after Stine's demons - from his famous "Goosebumps" horror novellas - are set free.

Though some projected that "The Martian" would top the box office for a third consecutive week, the impressive Friday tally for "Goosebumps" estimated $7.35 million and proved that wouldn't be the case. The horror/comedy geared to the young adult crowd familiar with the novellas then spiked 31% in ticket sales on Saturday, according to Deadline.

It's a good rebound for Sony after the lackluster turnout for its previous release, "The Walk."

The weekend releases were one of the strongest so far this year with a mix of titles coming out at the same time: "Bridge of Spies," starring Tom Hanks and directed by Steven Spielberg; "Beasts of No Nation," Netflix's first theatrical release that could also be seen on Netflix streaming; and another horror tale, "Crimson Peak," by Guillermo del Toro (with films like "Room" and "Truth" in limited release).

"The Martian," however, topped them all, taking the second spot this weekend with an estimated $21.5 million, according to Exhibitor Relations.

"Bridge of Spies" came in third with $15.38 million, according to BoxOffice.com, which Disney/DreamWorks should be happy with as the Cold War drama was geared for the adult crowd.

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