Horror at the Box Office: The Black Phone 2 Slashes the Competition
Blumhouse’s Savior?
The Black Phone 2 rung up an estimated $26.5 million in its opening weekend, easily earning the #1 spot. It joins Sinners, Weapons, and The Conjuring: Last Rites as horror movies to reach #1 in 2025.
The successful opening gave a much needed boost to embattled Blumhouse, which has weathered a series of disappointments this year, especially M3gan 2.0. The slasher sequel to the Joe Hill short story added an additional $15 million internationally for a worldwide total of over $42 million. The film cost $30 million to produce.
The Black Phone could be on its way to becoming a franchise. Speculation is already underway for a potential third film. It’s ironic that Joe Hill’s story, which is only a few pages long, could develop into an extended series.
Blumhouse could try cranking out annual October installments like Saw and Paranormal Activity used to do in their heydays, although a third installment might face a more competitive environment. This is purely early speculation, but a potential Black Phone 3 could face competition from Saw XI and Terrifier 4 in October ’26.
The Conjuring: Last Rites was the only other horror movie in the top ten. It added another $1.5 million to its total, finishing in eighth place and bringing its domestic gross to over $175 million and over $480 million worldwide.
Up Next
There are no major new horror releases this coming Friday, so The Black Phone 2 should continue to roll. This is an early Christmas present for Blumhouse after a rough year. It’s benefited from the cancellation of Saw XI and the delay of Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 until December.
