Continuation of the horror film “Black Phone 2” It topped the North American box office charts this weekend with $26.5 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. Not only did it surpass its $23.6 million debut, but it was a much-needed win for Blumhouse after a string of disappointments this year such as “M3GAN 2.0”.
Although “Black Phone 2” opened as expected, movie viewing is still slowing in October, down about 11% from last year, according to Comscore. Overall box office receipts are still up about 4% from last year, but a big blockbuster that could provide an additional boost may not arrive until late November or December.
Universal Pictures released Telephone Black 2 to 3,411 theaters in North America to strong reviews. The sequel, which will be released four years after the original, will feature the return of director Scott Derrickson as well as the stars. Ethan Hawke and Mason Thames. According to exit polls, the opening weekend audience was 63% between the ages of 18 and 34, and the largest demographic group was Hispanic, making up 39% of ticket buyers, while Caucasians made up 35%.
Thanks to an additional $15.5 million from 71 countries, Telephone Black 2 opened to $42 million worldwide against a reported production budget of $30 million.
“This is a fantastic discovery,” said Jim Orr, head of domestic distribution at Universal. “Our amazing partners Scott Derrickson and Blumhouse have once again taken this property and created an incredibly compelling, terrifying story that audiences just couldn’t get enough of.”
First “Black Phone” was something of a sleeper hit for Universal and Blumhouse in 2021 as movie theaters began to come back to life following COVID-related closures. By the end of its run, it had earned over $161 million worldwide against a budget of $18 million.
Blumhouse had a rocky 2025, with several flops including The Wolf Man and The Woman in the Yard. But the once inscrutable horror hitmaker could be on the rise again with the release of the Five Nights at Freddy's sequel in December. The first film earned nearly $300 million worldwide.
The horror genre as a whole has soared to record heights this year, with hits like “Guns” and the multi-genre film “The Sinners” bringing in more than $1.2 billion for the industry, said Paul Dergarabedian, head of market trends at Comscore.
“Black Phone 2” was also the only movie to really break out this weekend, despite a slew of options opening wide, including the R-rated Seth Rogen, Aziz Ansari and Keanu Reeves comedy. “Luck”, which opened in 2,990 locations at a cost of $6.2 million, as well as an expansion of the Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield drama. “After the hunt.” which earned $1.6 million from 1,238 theaters. Also new in cinemas is “Frankenstein” by Guillermo del Toro. although Netflix does not report box office figures.
“Tron: Ares” in its second weekend at theaters, it dropped approximately 67% to $11.1 million, which was enough to take second place on the charts. Globally, the company earned $103 million.
“Luck,” which opened in third place, received mostly positive reviews, but Ansari's social commentary comedy didn't generate much enthusiasm in its opening weekend. However, with a B+ CinemaScore, it likely has a better chance in the coming weeks than campus drama After the Hunt, which received a very low C-.
“It's a typical October for movies, which means it's not a hotbed for box office blockbusters,” Dergarabedian said. “But the market is flooded with titles. It's awards season; there are a lot of auteur films, edgier films. Collectively, they don't generate huge box office revenue, but there is a currency of goodwill generated by movie fans.”
Next weekend, audiences will be treated to another dose of awards contenders, including Yorgos Lanthimos' latest collaboration with Emma Stone. “Bugonia” and a biopic about Bruce Springsteen “Springsteen: Deliver Me Out of Nowhere.” starring Jeremy Allen White from The Bear.
Final internal data will be released Monday, according to Comscore. This list takes into account estimated ticket sales from Friday to Sunday in theaters in the United States and Canada:
1. Phone Black 2, $26.5 million.
2. “Tron: Ares,” $11.1 million.
3. “Luck,” $6.2 million.
4. “One Battle After Another,” $4 million.
5. “Roof,” $3.7 million.
6. “True” & Treason,” $2.7 million.
7. “Gabby's Dollhouse,” $1.7 million.
8. “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” $1.6 million.
9. “After the Hunt,” $1.6 million.
10. “Demon Slayer: The Infinite Castle of Kimetsu no Yaiba,” $1.3 million.
