Halloween Ends Tops Box Office with Projected $43.4 Million in Its Opening Weekend

Michael Myers (aka The Shape) and Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode in HALLOWEEN ENDS, directed by David Gordon Green
Michael Myers (aka The Shape) and Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode in HALLOWEEN ENDS, directed by David Gordon Green
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Ryan Green/Universal

As Halloween Ends marks the end for Jamie Lee Curtis in the Halloween franchise, the film has gone out in a blaze of gore and glory at the weekend box office.

The recently released film has ended up at the top of the box office, making $43.4 million in its opening weekend, according to Variety.

Playing in 3,901 theaters, per the outlet, the film is the last in the long-standing franchise from John Carpenter's 1978 original, which was rebooted with 2018's Halloween. Both Halloween Ends and its predecessor, Halloween Kills, premiered with a same-day release in theaters and on Peacock.

In a sweet video shared by the Halloween Ends official Instagram account on Friday, Curtis, 63, can be seen crying while watching a clip featuring fans of the Halloween movie franchise thanking her for her iconic horror genre character.

"The greatest 'Final Girl' in the world," one fan said, while another added, "You mean a lot to myself, and horror fans and film fans across the world."

"I love you, we love you, thank you," a third fan concluded in the video.

Appearing visibly emotional in the clip, the Golden Globe Award-winning actress responded, "Thank you, guys."

Curtis has been playing her Halloween character, Laurie Strode, since the 1978 original Halloween, when she was just 19 years old.

RELATED: Jamie Lee Curtis Wraps Playing Halloween Character Laurie Strode in New Trilogy: 'Bittersweet'

Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis

Alberto Rodriguez/Getty Jamie Lee Curtis

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In an exclusive essay written by Curtis for PEOPLE, the Scream Queen looked back at her time playing the O.G. final girl and how her involvement with the iconic horror franchise has shaped her career and personal life.

"You call me the Scream Queen. I don't call myself that, but I get it. Not the queen part. The scream part. But what you may not know about me is that I scare easily — and often," Curtis began.

"For 44 years, I have tried to figure out why and how the confluence of a young girl (Laurie Strode) and a monster (Michael Myers) came together in the 13 films titled Halloween. And this month, as I play Laurie for the last time, in Halloween Ends, the final installment of the franchise, I am trying to figure out how to say goodbye to Laurie, who has taught me the meaning of the words 'resilience,' 'loyalty,' 'perseverance' and 'COURAGE,' " she continued.

RELATED: Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween Through the Years

HALLOWEEN, HALLOWEEN US 1978 JAMIE LEE CURTIS HALLOWEEN US 1978 JAMIE LEE CURTIS Date 1978.
HALLOWEEN, HALLOWEEN US 1978 JAMIE LEE CURTIS HALLOWEEN US 1978 JAMIE LEE CURTIS Date 1978.

Mary Evans/COMPASS INTERNATIONAL PICTURES/FALCON INTERNATIONAL PRODUC/Ronald Grant/Everett Collection

RELATED: Jamie Lee Curtis on Her Halloween Legacy and How It Led to Her Husband and Kids: 'Dots Connected'

Later on Curtis wrote: "But with some perspective — I'm now 63 and have filmed almost as many movies — I maintain that nothing can prepare an actor for the moment when the camera starts rolling and they are required to perform. In that moment, in that small room on Cahuenga Boulevard, I discovered a natural instinct, and it took over. It has carried me since. No one teaches you how to be frightened. How to cry. And, by the way, there's no acting class for screaming."

"No one knew that Halloween would become the most successful independent film at that time. I was paid $8,000 for the movie — $2,000 a week for four weeks. It's important that you know that, because we are hearing outrageous sums of money being paid to actors and sports figures and influencers. But that wasn't the case on our set in 1978, and it often isn't the case today," she added. "As actors, we work for the creative experience, the opportunity to grow and learn, to try new things. Sometimes, rarely, something is wildly successful, and we reap those rewards."

MAG ROLLOUT: Jamie Lee Curtis’ Halloween Character Has Taught Her About Fear, Courage and Survival 
MAG ROLLOUT: Jamie Lee Curtis’ Halloween Character Has Taught Her About Fear, Courage and Survival

A behind the scenes selfie of Jamie Lee Curtis filming 'Halloween Ends'

RELATED: Jamie Lee Curtis on Final Time Playing Laurie Strode in Halloween Ends: 'It Felt Very Satisfying'

"I have tried over the years to inculcate those aspects of Laurie's character into my own, to carry that mantle and represent survivors of all types of unimaginable horror and trauma, pain and suffering, who stand up to tyranny and oppression — real and imagined. (Okay, cue the "JLC trauma" memes. Yes, I've seen, laughed and shared.)" she shared.

Concluding her candid message, Curtis wrote: "It's now the end for Laurie and me. I'm weeping as I write this. I'm going to miss her. Movies are make-believe, but this is my real life. Mine has been made better by her. What I can tell you is that I now know the reason why I'm so good in horror films. It is because I'm not acting. When I look scared in a movie it's because I am scared. I am scared right now, as I hang up my bell-bottoms and say goodbye to Halloween. Life is scary. But Laurie taught me that life can also be beautiful, filled with love and art and life! Thank you all for MINE!"

Halloween Ends is now in theaters and available to stream on Peacock.