‘Black Phone 2’ Debuts Strong with $42 Million Box Office Win

UPDATE: The highly anticipated horror sequel, Black Phone 2, has surged to the top of the box office, raking in an impressive $42 million globally this weekend. The film, produced by Blumhouse, garnered $26.5 million from North America alone, marking a significant win for the studio after recent disappointments.

Released on October 20, 2023, Black Phone 2 outperformed its predecessor, which opened with $23.3 million domestically and $35.8 million worldwide. This sequel, directed by Scott Derrickson and featuring returning stars Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, and Miguel Cazarez Mora, tells a gripping new story of terror as the villainous Grabber, despite being dead, continues to haunt children through a mysterious black phone at a summer camp.

The positive reception of Black Phone 2 comes as a much-needed boost for Blumhouse, especially after its earlier releases in 2023, such as M3GAN 2.0 and Wolf Man, which failed to meet expectations.

In stark contrast, Tron: Ares faced a dramatic decline, plummeting 65% in its North American box office performance with an additional $11.1 million, bringing its domestic total to $54.6 million. The film struggled internationally as well, earning just $14.1 million and failing to resonate with Chinese audiences during its debut weekend. With a global total of $103 million, the future of the Tron franchise appears uncertain.

Meanwhile, in a developing story, Netflix has yet to release box office figures for Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, but the film’s limited release is expected to expand next weekend, potentially altering its financial outlook.

Looking forward, moviegoers can anticipate a wave of new releases. On October 24, Yorgos Lanthimos will debut his comedy Bugonia, alongside Tina Romero’s horror flick Queens of the Dead and Chris Stuckmann’s Shelby Oaks. This Halloween weekend is currently devoid of genre films, but mark your calendars for November 7 for the release of Predator: Badlands.

As the box office landscape shifts with these new releases, the immediate success of Black Phone 2 highlights the ongoing demand for compelling horror narratives and keeps audiences engaged as the Halloween season approaches. Stay tuned for further updates as this story develops.