‘Split’ scares up a hefty box office lead over ‘xXx: Return of Xander Cage’

M. Night Shyamalan’s low-budget psychological horror film “Split” defied expectations Friday, raking in an estimated $14.6 million and prompting industry estimates of between $36 million and $38 million for inauguration weekend. The Universal/Blumhouse film trounced the other major studio release, “xXx: Return of Xander Cage,” the big-budget Vin Diesel vehicle from Paramount/ Revolution, which only nabbed an estimated $7.2 million and is looking at a weekend plateau of between $18 million and $20 million.