The “Conjuring” spinoff “Annabelle: Creation” took in an estimated $35 million in North American theaters over the weekend, making it easily the top film and giving the lagging August box office a shot in the arm.

The opening came close to matching the film’s predecessor, “Annabelle,” which opened with $37.1 million in October 2014. Warner Bros. could celebrate not only the month’s biggest debut but also having the week’s top two films. Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk” followed in second with $11.4 million in its fourth weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Even amid an especially weak August, the well-reviewed horror sequel and modestly budgeted “Annabelle: Creation” found eager audiences.

“That we were able to do $35 million in what is a very sluggish marketplace was very impressive,” said Jeffrey Goldstein, Warner Bros.’ distribution chief. “We all know that moviegoing begets moviegoing and right now it’s a dip in the content overall.”

The film, the third to spiral out of 2013’s “The Conjuring,” cost only about $15 million to make. More sequels and spinoffs are being developed in what has become for Warner Bros. a steadily profitable horror franchise bent on old-school frights. The “Annabelle” offshoot centers on a possessed doll.

Last week’s top film, the poorly received Stephen King adaptation “The Dark Tower,” slid dramatically. The Sony Pictures release, starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey, toppled nearly 60 percent on its second weekend with an estimated $7.9 million.

The week’s other new entry, the Open Road animated release “Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature,” edged just above “The Dark Tower” with $8.9 million. That was well below the 2014 debut of the original, “The Nut Job,” which opened with $19.4 million.

But the solid returns for “Annabelle: Creation” did little to counter the box-office slide. Ahead of the weekend, the domestic box office was 11 percent off the pace of 2016’s summer. This weekend was also down considerably from the same timeframe last year, when “Suicide Squad” was leading the box office despite brutal reviews.

Some of July’s bright spots, however, have continued into August. The summer’s top comedy, “Girls Trip,” will soon surpass $100 million domestically. The movie, starring Jada Pinkett Smith and Queen Latifah, took in $6.5 million in its fourth week to bring its cumulative total to $97.2 million. It may end up doubling the gross of its closest summer comedy competition: the starrier and pricey “Baywatch” ($58.1 million in its entire run).

In limited release, the A24 crime thriller “Good Time,” starring Robert Pattinson, debuted with a robust $34,000 per-screen average on four screens. That was bettered, though, by the $47,000 screen-average of Neon’s “Ingrid Goes West,” with Aubrey Plaza, on three screens. Both films expand in coming weeks.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers also are included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. “Annabelle: Creation,” $35 million.

2. “Dunkirk,” $11.4 million.

3. “Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature,” $8.9 million.

4. “The Dark Tower,” $7.9 million.

5. “The Emoji Movie,” $6.6 million.

6. “Girls Trip,” $6.5 million.

7. “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” $6.1 million.

8. “Kidnap,” $5.2 million.

9. “Glass Castle,” $4.9 million.

10. “Atomic Blonde,” $4.6 million.

SEATTLE — Martin Maldonado caught his 100th game of the season on Saturday night, most in the major leagues and an ongoing career high.

And on Sunday, a day game after a night game, he was in the Angels lineup again, for No. 101.

While Manager Mike Scioscia, a former catcher, is sensitive to protecting his catchers from an excessive workload, he seems comfortable that Maldonado can handle it.

“He’s still locked in to every pitch behind the plate, calling a great game,” Scioscia said. “He’s still doing a great job with the running game. There’s a little sacrifice with the bat. When there’s a little sacrifice with the bat, the biggest piece of the puzzle that Martin brings for us is what he does behind the plate, and he’s been as good as any catcher in baseball.”

Maldonado conceded that catching so much leads to “some days you feel your bat is slow.” His average has dropped steadily. Even with back-to-back two-hit games on Friday and Saturday, he’s hitting .173 in the second half.

He is still getting defensive praise from Scioscia and his pitchers, and he’s still throwing out runners at a 41-percent clip, including one on Saturday night.

“The only reason I’m here is to catch,” Maldonado said, “so that’s what I’m worried about.”

PLAN FOR HEANEY

A day after Andrew Heaney gave up one run in seven innings over 94 pitches at Triple-A, Scioscia said they’ll take a couple days to determine his next step.

“He pitched really well,” Scioscia said on Sunday.

It is likely that Heaney’s next outing will be in the majors. He has pitched six times in the minors, including three at Triple-A, with a combined 2.60 ERA. The next game that Heaney could pitch for the Angels would be Friday, in Baltimore.

When Heaney returns, it would be a boost for the Angels. He was not expected to pitch in the majors at all in 2017, after undergoing Tommy John surgery on July 1, 2016.

ALSO

Cliff Pennington got the start at second over Kaleb Cowart on Sunday. Cowart has started 13 of 18 games since he was recalled last month, although it’s been only six of the last 11. Scioscia still said he expects Cowart to get “the lion’s share” of the starts at second. Cowart also had one hit in his previous 19 at-bats…

Scioscia said Albert Pujols will play one of the two games at first base in Washington, where the Angels will not be able to use the DH…

Angels players were set to wear NBA jerseys for their postgame flight to Washington, the second straight flight they have gone with that theme.

Multiple events have popped up throughout Southern California to help people deal with the emotions of the events that happened Saturday when a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. turned violent — resulting in the deaths of three people and injuries to many more.

Here’s a look at some of the “Stand with Charlottesville” events in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties Sunday:

Los Angeles County

• Refuse Fascism and Bros4America solidarity rallies will both be held at 2 p.m. outside of LA City Hall, 200 N Spring Street. Find out more about the event here.

• A prayer vigil will be held at 6 p.m. at Holman United Methodist Church, 3320 W Adams Boulevard in Los Angeles. Find out more about this event here.

• Indivisible Connected Long Beach will host a vigil at 7:30 p.m. at Harvey Milk Park, 195 E 3rd Street in Long Beach. View details on this event here.

Orange County

• A gathering will be held at 4 p.m. at Plaza Square Park in Orange followed discussion at nearby Wahoo’s Fish Taco, 234 W Chapman Avenue. More information about this event can be viewed here.

• Another solidarity gathering will be held at 4 p.m. at Main Beach in Laguna Beach. Details here.

Riverside County

• A candlelight vigil will be held at 6 p.m. outside of Riverside City Hall, 3900 Main Street. A Facebook event page can be found here.

• Democrats of Southwest Riverside County will host a peaceful stand at 11 a.m. at the Temecula Duck Pond, 28250 Ynez Road.

San Bernardino County

• A “stand against hate” will be held at 6 p.m. outside the Barstow Union Bank, 239 E Main Street. View details about this event here.

More events across California can be found here.

COSTA MESA    A 29-year-old Anaheim man with four prior driving under the influence convictions was found passed out behind the steering wheel of his car and arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, police said.

The incident was reported to Costa Mesa Police on Sat. August 12 at 7:53 p.m., when a motorist driving on the 405 freeway called 911 reporting a Honda swerving across multiple lanes of the freeway, said Sgt. Matt Selenske.

The motorist followed the Honda as it exited at Fairview Road and then watched the car stop at the intersection with Paularino Avenue blocking several lanes of traffic.

Police officers arrived at 8:03 p.m. and found the man, identified as Ruben Gonzalez, passed out behind the steering wheel, Selenske said.

“They conducted a DUI investigation and arrested him for drunken driving,” Selenske said. “He had four prior DUI convictions within the last seven years, two pending DUI cases and was on probation for DUI.”

COSTA MESA A woman in her 20s was killed late Saturday, Aug. 12,  while riding in one of three vehicles that crashed on the southbound 405 freeway near Bristol Street, officials said.

At 11:58 p.m., the California Highway Patrol responded to a report that two cars had collided and were then hit by a third car, said California Highway Patrol Sgt. Todd Kovaletz

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue responded and worked with Orange County Sheriff-Coroner authorities to free the trapped passenger. The woman, who was a passenger in one of the cars, was later declared dead by paramedics.

Three people were taken to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries, said Costa Mesa Fire Capt. Chris Coates. One other person refused medical assistance, he said.

Wondering what $67 million will buy you? Two oceanfront villas on an island, for starters.

The new villas and cabins are bringing rustic-chic luxury to the Magic Kingdom.

Sleek, sporty, and fast, the 164-foot Elsea is a great first go-fast yacht launch for Italian shipyard CCN.

Images of California, particularly the southern coast, are embedded with those associated with youthfulness — surfers, actors, models, glamorous entrepreneurs. Yet, in reality, the state — and the region — are falling well behind in the growth of their youthful population, which carries significant implications for our future economic trajectory and the nature of our society.

The numbers, provided by demographer Wendell Cox, based on U.S. Census Bureau estimates, should concern every business and community, particularly across the high-priced coastal areas. On the other hand, the stronger youthful growth in the interior, notably the Inland Empire, may become the basis for a regional resurgence, given a less draconian state regulatory regime.

What the numbers say

Let’s start with the millennials, the population that was aged between 20 and 34 in 2015. Since 2000, the growth of this segment of the population has been, for the most part, very slow along the coastal regions, well below the 6 percent national average. In Los Angeles and Orange County, the youth population grew by roughly 3 percent, about half the national average. San Francisco-Oakland, did a bit better, at 7 percent, but Silicon Valley-San Jose experienced a barely 1 percent increase.

In comparison, the millennial population of Orlando, Fla., grew by 47 percent, while in Las Vegas it increased by 42 percent. The four big Texas cities — led by San Antonio, with a 43 percent increase — all registered well over 20 percent growth. Rising tech regions, like Raleigh, N.C., saw 30 percent growth — 30 times the rate in Silicon Valley.

Yet, not all of California is losing out in the coming generation. The fastest-growing region for young people among the 53 largest metropolitan regions is right here in Southern California, the Riverside-San Bernardino area, which saw its 20-34 population expand by a remarkable 47 percent. Another inland standout in California, Sacramento, grew by over 30 percent, far ahead of any of the coastal areas.

Drilling down in Southern California

One of the most oft-repeated memes of the national media is that millennials are swarming into dense, coastal urban areas. It’s a nice story for urban land speculators and owners of expensive inner-city properties, but the thesis does not hold up well. In fact, of the 20 fastest-growing millennial regions, only two urban icons, Seattle and, to a lesser extent, Portland, Ore., show much vitality — and neither is very dense.

We can see that this pattern also exists within Southern California, based on data from the 2000 census and from American Community Survey data for the 2011-2015 period. If we look across the region, most of the places with the fastest growth in millennials can be found in the outlying areas. The fastest growth took place in the Perris-Temecula area, with a remarkable rise of 114 percent, followed by 48 percent growth in the Riverside area and 36 percent growth around San Bernardino. Along the coast, the fastest growth has been in suburban Irvine and the South Orange County area, where the youth population expanded by 24 percent. In contrast, the rest of coastal Orange County — including places like Newport Beach and Laguna — as well as Long Beach-South Bay, saw a decline in millennial population.

Surprisingly, the two places most celebrated as youth magnets — downtown Los Angeles and the Westside — saw surprisingly modest increases in millennials. Since 2000, downtown has experienced a healthy 22 percent growth in millennials — about 5,600 people — although the surrounding area saw a 2.4 percent drop, so the central core actually lost over 10,000 young people. The Westside area that includes Santa Monica and much of the “tech coast” also enjoyed a bit of a jump, albeit below the national average, with a growth rate of 4.6 percent. But even if we combine the Westside hot spots and downtown, the total gain rounds out to 13,000 — a nice number, but barely half that of Irvine, and less than one-sixth the gain in Perris-Temecula.

What this means

Urban boosters may claim, with justification, that the best educated (and often the most wellborn) do tend to concentrate in areas such as the Westside or downtown L.A. But all of these remain relatively small groups, compared to the middle- and working-class population with more modest skills, who often come from historically disadvantaged groups. And, as even more millennials get into their 30s, they may also tend to move away from the coastal counties, as we can see in the decline of the Gen Xer population as a harbinger of future trends.

The youth deficit also seems to be spreading to the post-millennial generation. Due, in part, to a dearth of new families, California’s new generation is actually shrinking the potential workforce. Between 2013 and 2025, the number of high school graduates in California is expected to fall by 5 percent, while Texas, Florida and North Carolina experience gains of near 10 percent or more. With a shrinking birthrate, as well as diminished immigration, the L.A. region could experience a continual decline in its workforce.

These trends should alarm employers and businesses who depend on growth in workers and consumers. A rapidly aging population, by its very nature, adds less to economic growth and innovation, while spending less on housing and consumer goods. Southern California politicians, seemingly more obsessed with sporting events and climate change than economic reality, need to address the fundamental housing and employment issues undermining our demographic future.

Joel Kotkin is the R.C. Hobbs Presidential Fellow in Urban Futures at Chapman University in Orange and executive director of the Houston-based Center for Opportunity Urbanism (www.opportunityurbanism.org). Wendell Cox is principal of Demographia, a St. Louis-based public policy firm, and was appointed to three terms on the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission.

The week’s news was dominated by President Trump’s verbal saber-rattling with North Korea. Except that these weren’t swords being waved by Trump and Kim Jong Un: They were nuclear warhead-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles. But the problem isn’t Trump’s rhetoric. It’s Kim’s actions — and China’s.

Since July 16, 1945, when the first atomic bomb was tested in the desert of New Mexico, the civilized world has worried what would happen if a certifiable madman got his hands on the bomb. The jokes making the rounds on social media and among late night comedians is that Trump’s 2016 election brought this crisis to the fore. That’s not humorous to me for the simple reason that the murderous impulses of Kim Jong Un, however buffoonish a figure he cuts, are neither funny nor hypothetical.

A 2014 United Nations dossier of his regime’s crimes against humanity runs 372 pages. “I have been a judge for a very long time and I’m pretty hardened to testimony,” said Australian magistrate Michael Kirby. “But the testimony … brought tears to my eyes on several occasions.”

One North Korean refugee told U.N. investigators that Kim personally involved himself in the desecration and disposal of murdered political prisoners. Their bodies were tossed on a cart and driven away to be incinerated and the ashes used for fertilizer.

In February 2016, a South Korean think tank reported that Kim Jong Un had ordered the execution of some 340 North Koreans, many of them members of his own family — for infractions ranging from disagreeing with Kim’s forestation policies to “slouching” at public events. The capricious nature of these death sentences beggars belief: Those killed include a manager of a turtle farm who explained to Kim that turtles had died because of power outages and food shortages; four musicians in a band favored by his former wife; a widow who protested the execution of her husband.

Last summer, the Obama administration placed Kim and 10 of his top henchmen on a “blacklist” that prohibits U.S. companies or individuals from doing any business with them.

“Under Kim Jong-Un, North Korea continues to inflict intolerable cruelty and hardship on millions of its own people,” said Adam Szubin, acting Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.

This is not new: Kim is the son and grandson of dictators who ran the world’s most horrific police state. What is new is that the third version of North Korea’s monster has nuclear weapons and intercontinental missiles. Events came to head this week because of two events: a new round of U.N. sanctions and an Aug. 8 Washington Post article revealing that North Korea has produced a miniaturized nuclear warhead that can fit inside its missiles.

After a decade of research, North Korea conducted its first successful nuclear bomb test in October 2006. By September 2016, it detonated a bomb the size of the device dropped on Nagasaki. Concurrently, the regime has poured money into missile technology. A July 28 ballistic missile traveled more than 2,000 miles into space. If it had been fired at a flatter trajectory — an easy adjustment to make — Chicago would have been in reach.

All North Korea’s military scientists have to do now is perfect their weapon’s triggering mechanisms and they will have 10 to 12 working ICBMs. How do we know they’re thinking of targeting the United States? Because they keep saying so. At a regional Asian forum Monday, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho warned that Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons and recent ballistic tests are a “stern warning to the U.S. [against] believing that its land is safe across the ocean.”

Referring to the U.N. sanctions, he added that North Korea “will make the U.S. pay dearly for all the heinous crimes it commits against the state and people of this country.”

These were the threats that prompted Trump’s Wednesday “fire and fury” tweet. Thursday, as the White House was besieged by those who wanted him to tone it down — and North Korea announced it was considering a missile strike on Guam — Trump said that his rhetoric “maybe … wasn’t tough enough,” a theme he followed Friday in both a morning tweet (“Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded …”) and an afternoon event in Bridgewater, N.J., where he warned Kim “he would truly regret” any attack on Guam.

Some of the questions raised by this back-and-forth are metaphysical. Does threatening a madman work? The more practical question is whether Trump’s gambit can work. He noted, quite accurately, that the diplomatic approach taken by previous administrations has failed. But Trump’s real audience is not Kim Jong Un, it’s Beijing. North Korea is a client state that would not exist without Chinese support. And it’s time to call China to account.

They don’t want an unstable country, or a democratic one, on their borders? Well, this is worse. For decades, the Kim dynasty has starved its own people, kidnapped thousands of foreigners, and practiced ethnic cleansing — aimed at the Chinese. The regime loathes ethnically mixed children, mainly those conceived by men from China, where some North Korean women have sought refuge. When China sends them back, the babies are killed. One witness told U.N. officials that a repatriated woman’s newborn was put in a bucket and hauled away like garbage by a North Korean guard who said that the child “does not deserve to live because it is impure.”

China is not blind to these atrocities. China is complicit in them. And it’s time for China to grow into the role it craves in the world.

When Trump pulled the United States out of the Paris climate accord, China announced airily that it would take the lead on global warming. Western elites detest Trump so much they parroted that line, knowing it was a crock: China is the world’s leading emitter of greenhouse gases, and isn’t required under that pact to do anything.

But North Korea is all their fault, and Trump is telling the Chinese that they’d better step up and do something about it.

Carl M. Cannon is executive editor and Washington Bureau chief of RealClearPolitics.