Black Phone 2 Opens No. 1 With $26.5M Boost Amid October Box Office Slump

The horror sequel "Black Phone 2" opened strongly at the North American box office with $26.5 million in ticket sales, surpassing the original film's debut and marking a significant win for Blumhouse after several underperforming releases this year. Released by Universal in over 3,400 theaters, the sequel also earned $15.5 million internationally, bringing its global total to $42 million against a $30 million production budget. The film, featuring Ethan Hawke reprising his role as the serial killer known as the Grabber, attracted a predominantly young audience, with 63% aged 18 to 34 and a large Hispanic demographic. Despite positive critical reception with a B CinemaScore and solid Rotten Tomatoes scores, the sequel was not as well received as the original but still represents Blumhouse's biggest opening of the year. The overall October box office remains slow, down about 11% from last year, with no major blockbuster expected until late November or December. This successful launch could signal a turnaround for Blumhouse, which plans to release a "Five Nights at Freddy's" sequel in December following a series of recent flops.