This weekend, Hotel Transylvania 2 handily bested its predecessor with an estimated $47.5 million at the box office, nabbing the top September opening weekend of all time along the way. The original Hotel Transylvania film previously held the spot, with a $42.5 million opening weekend. It was a good weekend at the box office overall, with 29.8% increase from this weekend last year, according to Box Office Mojo.

The monster movie was surely boosted by strong word of mouth, earning an A- on CinemaScore audience exit polls. Audience appreciation remained high despite a lukewarm critical response (44% critic approval on Rotten Tomatoes). A recent drought of family targeted films may have helped the movie as well. The coming Halloween season may also help draw out the box office revenue on the spooky family fare.

Hotel Transylvania 2’s performance marks a success for both Adam Sandler and Sony. As for Sandler, it seems to have broken his current losing streak at the box office in a big way. The final box office count will determine whether it will pull ahead of The Longest Yard’s $47.6 million debut to be his highest film opening ever. As for Sony Animation, it was the biggest opening of all time and, for Sony, the biggest opening of the year.

Although not on par with summer box office monsters like Minions or Inside Out, Hotel Transylvania 2 is a victory in its own right.

What do you think about Hotel Transylvania 2‘s box office performance?

Edited by: Hannah Wilkes