Lionsgate has a reason to celebrate as their horror-comedy film, “The Blackening,” made its theatrical debut over the long Juneteenth weekend. The film’s box office performance has been impressive so far.

Screening in 1,775 theaters nationwide, “The Blackening” has amassed an estimated total of $7 million over the course of five days, including almost $1 million from Thursday night previews.

In its debut weekend, “The Blackening” secured the sixth position in a crowded box office, trailing behind major studio blockbusters such as “The Flash,” “Elemental,” “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” and “The Little Mermaid.” However, the film’s production budget was a modest $5 million, which bodes well for Lionsgate to start reaping box office profits soon. In contrast, mega-budget films like DC’s “The Flash” faced greater challenges in terms of financial success.

This showcases the beauty of the horror genre, as it has proven time and again to be a lucrative investment.

“The Blackening,” which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, revolves around a group of Black friends who come together for a Juneteenth weekend getaway, only to find themselves trapped in a remote cabin with a sadistic killer. As they are forced to play by his rules, the friends quickly realize that this is no ordinary game.

Directed by Tim Story (“Ride Along,” “Think Like A Man,” “Barbershop”) and co-written by Tracy Oliver (“Girls Trip,” “Harlem”) and Dewayne Perkins (“The Amber Ruffin Show,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), “The Blackening” cleverly satirizes genre tropes and poses the sardonic question: if the entire cast of a horror movie is Black, who dies first?

“The Blackening” emerged as one of the standout hits from the Toronto International Film Festival. The film features an ensemble cast including Antoinette Robertson, Dewayne Perkins, Sinqua Walls, Grace Byers, X Mayo, Melvin Gregg, Jermaine Fowler, Yvonne Orji, and Jay Pharoah.