What 'The Purge: Election Year' Opening Weekend Means For Universal

Last summer, Universal (Comcast Corporation CMCSA) rode a summer of sequels to a record-breaking year. This summer has been a abrupt turnabout.

From May until now, the studio has put out four films, and it has taken until now for one of them to be a success story. After seeing "Neighbors 2," "Popstar: Never Stop Popping" and "Warcraft" all underperform, "The Purge: Election Year" finally provided some fireworks for the studio.

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The third entry into the "Purge" series was expected to top out in the high $20 million range, but will likely up closer to $34 million over the four-day frame. Given the film cost just $10 million to make, this is a big win for the studio.

"Purge 3" was always expected to do well, as it is not only a familiar franchise, but it plays off the topical election season. The film is also from Blumhouse Productions, which is well-known for making low-cost (and high profit) films that cater to a specific audience.

While Universal's summer may have started off roughly, its slated to end strong. Next week, "The Secret Life of Pets" opens with the highly-anticipated "Jason Bourne" following in a few weeks. With a fall slate that could be poised to be profitable, the studio may be turning a corner — provided nobody ever tries to make a "Popstar" sequel.