LOS ANGELES — The box office might be struggling this year, but the horror genre is alive and well.

This weekend the “Groundhog Day”-like horror picture “Happy Death Day” scored a first-place finish, surpassing expectations and blowing the much costlier and star-driven “Blade Runner 2049” out of the water.

Studio estimates Sunday show “Happy Death Day” took in $26.5 million from 3,149 North American theaters. With a $5 million production price tag, “Happy Death Day” is already a hit.

With a PG-13 rating, the film scored big with younger audiences — 63 percent were under 25.

It’s the latest success story from Blumhouse Productions, which earlier this year released “Split” and “Get Out,” with the help of Universal Pictures, which distributed.

Jim Orr, executive vice president of domestic distribution for Universal, said “Happy Death Day” is an original film that’s reimaging the genre.

“It’s as much thriller as it is horror film. It’s scary, it’s funny, and it has an extraordinarily clever script that is very well executed,” Orr said.

The film also had the benefit of coming on the heels of the massive success of “It,” which has earned $314.9 million domestically to date.

One film that does not look destined for a happy ending is “Blade Runner 2049,” which fell 54 percent in its second weekend in theaters, adding $15.1 million to bring its domestic total to $60.6 million.

The film was a costly endeavor with a production price tag north of $150 million and was well-reviewed by critics. But it couldn’t manage to draw in significant audiences beyond the fans of the 1982 original, which was also a flop upon release.

Jackie Chan’s “The Foreigner” debuted in third place with $12.8 million from 2,515 screens, while “It” landed in fourth place in its sixth weekend in theaters.

The Kate Winslet and Idris Elba disaster pic “The Mountain Between Us” rounded out the top five with $5.7 million.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore.

1. “Happy Death Day,” $26.5 million

2. “Blade Runner 2049,” $15.1 million

3. “The Foreigner,” $12.8 million

4. “It,” $6.1 million

5. “The Mountain Between Us,” $5.7 million

6. “American Made,” $5.4 million

7. “Kingsman: The Golden Circle,” $5.3 million

8. “The Lego Ninjago Movie,” $4.3 million

9. “My Little Pony: The Movie,” $4 million

10. “Victoria and Abdul,” $3.1 million.