Moviegoers were ready for a fright this weekend, sending “The Conjuring” into first place at the box office.

The haunted-house horror debuted with $41.5 million in North American ticket sales, according to studio estimates yesterday. It unseated three-week box-office champ, “Despicable Me 2,” which dropped to second place with $25 million.

The newest animated offering, “Turbo,” opened with $21.5 million, good for third place.