LOS ANGELES (AP) — Forty years later, Michael Myers is still drawing huge audiences to the movie theaters for a good scare. “Halloween” has opened in first place with an estimated $77.5 million in ticket sales from North American theaters, according to Universal Pictures on Sunday.

David Gordon Green directed the “Halloween” sequel which brings back Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode and Nick Castle as Michael Myers. It’s the second highest horror opening of all time, behind last year’s “It.”

It was also enough to bump the comic-book film “Venom” out of the No. 1 spot and into third place in its third weekend in theaters with $18.1 million. Meanwhile “A Star Is Born” held on to the second place spot for its third weekend with $19.3 million.