‘Black Phone 2’ Rules With $26.5 Million Opening

Blumhouse is back in action.

That of Scott Derrickson Black phone 2 gave horror maestro Jason Blum a major win by opening to a better-than-expected $26.5 million domestically from 3,411 theaters and $15.5 million from 72 foreign markets for an overall debut of $42 million worldwide against a relatively modest production budget of $30 million. The pic’s debut follows a string of failures for the Universal-based banner, culminating with the costly flop of M3GAN2.0 earlier this year.

The sequel easily ranked #1 in North America ahead of Disney’s masthead. Tron-Ares after being credited by critics for expanding the Black Phone universe and garnering strong audience releases, including a B CinemaScore (that’s a great rating for the horror genre). Also of note: Latinos, the most avid moviegoers in the United States, made up the largest segment of the audience, at about 39 percent. Internationally, Mexico led all markets with $4.3 million, a huge number for a horror title.

The sequel returns Ethan Hawke as the serial killer known as Grabber and Mason Thames as Finn. In the sequel, the sinister killer seeks revenge on Finn from beyond the grave by threatening his younger sister, Gwen, played by Madeleine McGraw.

Heading into the weekend, Universal had debuted the film at $18 million, but tracking previews proved accurate in predicting that the R-rated sequel would arrive before the first film.

Black phoneopening in 2021 as theaters were first recovering from COVID, opened with $23.6 million in North America, before turning into a sleeper hit, amassing over $161 million in ticket sales worldwide (this was before horror fatigue hit at the box office).

Tron: Ares came in second in North America after dropping more than 65 percent in its second release, to an estimated $11.1 million from 4,000 theaters for a 10-day domestic total of $54.6 million. Overseas, the trio grossed another $14.1 million, including a dismal $2.8 million from its China debut, for a foreign cume of $49.4 million and $103 million worldwide (the problem? Ares production cost $180 million net).

The comedy directed by Lionsgate’s Aziz Ansari Chance launched nationwide this weekend, but didn’t strike much gold despite good reviews and an all-star cast including Seth Rogen, Ansari, Keke Palmer, Sandra Oh and Keanu Reeves. The $30 million, focused on a scruffy guardian angel tasked with saving someone’s soul, brought in an estimated $6.2 million from 2,990 locations nationwide for a third-place finish.

Warner Bros.’ One battle after another crossed the $100 million mark internationally in its fourth weekend, for a worldwide total of $162.5 million. In North America, it grossed approximately $4 million from 2,532 theaters for a fourth place finish and a domestic total of $61.9 million. Overseas, the Paul Thomas Anderson-led awards contender also earned $11.8 million from 71 markets, for a foreign total of $100.6 million.

Miramax’s police comedy Rooferstarring Channing Tatum and Kirstin Dunst, rounded out the top five in its second weekend with $3.7 million from 3,379 theaters for a domestic total of $15.5 million and $16.4 million worldwide against a budget of $19 million. Paramount has distribution functions in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada.

Angel Studios’ Nazi Holocaust Drama Truth and betrayalbased on a true story, opened in sixth place with $2.7 million from 2,106 locations. It was the only new domestic release to earn an A CinemaScore.

At the awards box office, Luca Guadagnino’s psychological thriller After the hunt grew from six to 1,238 theaters in its second weekend, grossing $1.6 million for a ninth-place finish and a location average of $1,257 (compared to a location average of $1,292 for Truth and betrayalFor example). The award nominee, however, received a C-CinemaScore. Julia Roberts leads the cast, which also includes Ayo Edebiri, Andrew Garfield, Michael Stuhlbarg and Chloë Sevigny.

More to come.