Scott Derrickson’s Black Phone 2 delivered a strong start for producer Jason Blum, opening to $26.5 million domestically from 3,411 theaters and $15.5 million overseas across 72 markets, for a global debut of $42 million. The horror sequel, produced for $30 million, marks a major rebound for the Universal-based banner following recent disappointments, including M3GAN 2.0 earlier this year.
The R-rated film easily topped the North American box office, surpassing expectations and Disney’s Tron: Ares. Critics praised its expansion of the Black Phone universe, while audiences awarded it a B CinemaScore a solid grade for the horror genre. Latino audiences, who remain the most frequent U.S. moviegoers, represented 39 percent of the turnout. Internationally, Mexico led all markets with $4.3 million, an impressive figure for a horror title.
The sequel reunites Ethan Hawke as the masked killer known as the Grabber and Mason Thames as Finn. This time, the story follows the Grabber’s vengeful pursuit of Finn’s younger sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw). Universal had projected an $18 million opening, but strong interest pushed the film ahead of expectations and above the 2021 original, which launched with $23.6 million domestically and went on to earn $161 million worldwide.
Source: THR
