Blumhouse Productions celebrates a significant success with the release of Black Phone 2. The film earned an impressive $26.5 million at the North American box office during its opening weekend, screening across 3,411 theaters. Furthermore, it secured an additional $15.5 million from 72 international markets, bringing its global earnings to $42 million against a production budget of $30 million.
Black Phone 2’s Strong Opening Performance
This sequel marks a pivotal moment for Blumhouse, especially after the underwhelming performance of M3GAN 2.0 earlier this year. Critics have praised Black Phone 2 for successfully expanding the original film’s universe and garnering solid audience reactions, evidenced by a B CinemaScore, which is considered favorable within the horror genre.
Demographics and Audience Insights
- Approximately 39% of the audience were Latinos, the most frequent moviegoers in the U.S.
- Mexico led international markets, contributing $4.3 million to the film’s overseas total.
The film features Ethan Hawke reprising his role as the notorious serial killer, Grabber. Mason Thames returns as the protagonist, Finn, while Madeleine McGraw portrays his younger sister, Gwen. In this installment, Grabber seeks revenge on Finn by targeting Gwen from beyond the grave.
Comparison to Original Film
Universal initially projected an opening of $18 million for Black Phone 2. In contrast, the first film debuted with $23.6 million in 2021 during the pandemic recovery phase and went on to gross over $161 million worldwide.
Meanwhile, Tron: Ares took second place in North America, experiencing a significant drop of over 65% in its second weekend, earning approximately $11.1 million. The film has amassed a total of $54.6 million domestically after ten days of release, alongside just $2.8 million from its debut in China.
Additional Releases and Market Insights
- Good Fortune, directed by Aziz Ansari, opened in third place with $6.2 million from 2,990 theaters.
- One Battle After Another reached the $100 million international mark, grossing around $4 million in North America.
- Truth & Treason, a drama about Nazi holocaust survivors, opened in sixth place, earning $2.7 million and receiving an A CinemaScore.
As the box office landscape evolves, Black Phone 2 stands out as a triumph for Blumhouse, breathing new life into the horror genre.
