The creepy echoes of The Black Phone are still being heard. This weekend, its follow-up, Black Phone 2, made a chilling debut with $42 million globally — giving Universal and Blumhouse a much-needed win.
Domestically, the film raked in $26.5 million, proving North American audiences still have a taste for suspense and serial killers. Internationally, it drew a milder $15.5 million across 71 territories, with Mexico ($4.3M), the UK and Ireland ($1.4M), and Brazil ($1.2M) leading the charge.
Directed once again by Scott Derrickson, the film sees Ethan Hawke return as the terrifying Grabber. The sequel outpaced its predecessor’s debut ($35.8M worldwide in 2022) and carries a slightly beefier $30 million budget compared to the original’s $18 million. With word-of-mouth and spooky season approaching, Blumhouse is hoping this horror hit sticks around — especially after a rough 2025 slate that included Wolf Man and M3GAN 2.0.
Elsewhere in cinemas, nostalgia and ambition continue to battle budgets. Disney’s long-awaited Tron: Ares added $14.1 million from 52 markets but dropped sharply from its debut. With $103 million globally so far, its sky-high $180 million production cost makes profitability a distant dream.
Meanwhile, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, is showing impressive legs. It earned another $11.8 million overseas (just a 21% drop), bringing its worldwide total to $162.5 million. Critically praised and likely awards-bound, the R-rated action comedy may still fall short financially, with its combined production and promo cost topping $200 million.
As Black Phone 2 leads the pack, all eyes are on whether scares and sequels can sustain momentum through the fall.