Black Phone 2 Aims for Over $20 Million Box Office Debut Amid Slow October Trends

The highly anticipated horror sequel, The Black Phone 2, is set to make its debut with box office projections ranging from $23 million to $29 million across 3,200 theaters in North America. Universal Pictures, which is distributing the film, has estimated a conservative opening weekend of around $18 million, as pre-release tracking has shown inconsistencies in projections.

Box Office Expectations and Comparisons

The budget for The Black Phone 2 is reported at $30 million. This upcoming sequel, starring Ethan Hawke as the notorious serial killer known as the Grabber, resembles its predecessor, which opened in 2021 to $23 million. The original film garnered a remarkable total of $161 million globally, establishing itself as a breakout success.

Blumhouse’s Current Challenges

Blumhouse Productions, famous for creating profitable horror titles like Paranormal Activity and Get Out, is navigating a tough period at the box office with several recent disappointments:

• Wolf Man: $34 million against a $25 million budget.
• The Woman in the Yard: $23 million against a $12 million budget.
• Drop: $28 million against an $8 million budget.
• M3GAN 2.0: $39 million against a $25 million budget.

Despite these setbacks, Blumhouse maintains a strategy of minimizing financial risks by keeping production costs low. The studio hopes to regain its footing with The Black Phone 2 and another upcoming release, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2.

Competition at the Box Office

The Black Phone 2 is expected to outperform Disney’s sci-fi sequel Tron: Ares, as well as Good Fortune, a supernatural comedy by Aziz Ansari. This film, distributed by Lionsgate, is projected to earn between $6 million and $8 million over the weekend while carrying a $30 million production budget.

Good Fortune marks Ansari’s directorial debut, where he stars alongside Keanu Reeves, Seth Rogen, and Keke Palmer. The film follows an angel who inadvertently facilitates a body swap between a struggling worker and a rich venture capitalist.

Future Outlook for Moviegoers

This weekend’s box office results are anticipated to reflect a continued slow trend for October. Theaters may see increased attendance as the fall season progresses, especially with significant releases on the horizon:

• Predator: Badlands
• Now You See Me: Now You Don’t
• Wicked: For Good
• Zootopia 2

According to Comscore’s Paul Dergarabedian, the industry is taking a wait-and-see approach as it approaches the holiday season, hoping for a rebound in box office performance.