‘Black Phone 2’ Dominates Box Office with $42 Million Opening

UPDATE: The highly anticipated horror sequel, Black Phone 2, has taken the box office by storm, debuting at number one and raking in a staggering $42 million worldwide. The film, released on October 20, 2025, earned an impressive $26.5 million from North American audiences alone, surpassing its predecessor’s opening weekend numbers.

This strong performance is a significant win for Blumhouse Productions, especially following the underwhelming box office results of earlier 2025 releases like M3GAN 2.0 and Wolf Man. Directed once again by Scott Derrickson, Black Phone 2 features returning stars Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, and Miguel Cazarez Mora. The film follows the storyline of the original, with Hawke’s chilling character, the Grabber, now dead but still haunting the children who defeated him through a mysterious black phone located at a summer camp.

Critical reception for the sequel has been generally positive, with audiences eager for more thrilling horror experiences. The film’s success comes as a much-needed boost for Blumhouse, whose recent offerings have struggled to find their footing.

In stark contrast, the sci-fi sequel Tron: Ares plummeted by 65% in North America, adding just $11.1 million this weekend, bringing its domestic total to $54.6 million. The film also failed to resonate with international audiences, earning an additional $14.1 million but performing poorly in its debut in China. With a total of $103 million globally, the future of the Tron franchise appears uncertain.

Meanwhile, Netflix’s adaptation of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein has not yet released box office figures, but anticipation builds as its limited release expands to more theaters next weekend.

Looking ahead, audiences can expect a fresh slate of films to hit theaters on October 24, 2025, including Yorgos Lanthimos’ comedy Bugonia, Tina Romero’s Queens of the Dead, and Chris Stuckmann’s horror debut Shelby Oaks. As Halloween approaches, there are currently no major genre releases slated for the weekend, but fans of the horror genre can anticipate Predator: Badlands on November 7.

Stay tuned for further updates as the box office landscape continues to evolve.