Killer! BLACK PHONE 2 Tops The Box Office
Director Scott Derrickson has earned his first non-Marvel number one film.
Horror is back where it belongs, right atop the box office. Director Scott Derrickson’s much-anticipated Black Phone 2 hit theaters over the weekend and it didn’t disappoint, as the sequel managed to take the number one spot on the charts as spooky season ramps up. It was a big and sorely needed win for the folks at Blumhouse, to be certain.
Hailing from Universal Pictures, Black Phone 2 opened to an estimated $26.5 million domestically to go with $15.5 million internationally for a $42 million global debut. Even against a $30 million budget, that’s a damn fine start. Especially in light of the generally good reviews and positive word-of-mouth from moviegoers. This figures to be the de facto choice for horror fans as Halloween approaches. That should only help its case in the coming weeks.
This is notably the first time that Derrickson, whose credits also include Sinister and The Gorge, has scored a number one film not connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He previously helmed 2016's Doctor Strange, which made $677 millon globally.
Competition wasn’t overly steep this past weekend. Aziz Ansari’s comedy Good Fortune disappointed with just $6.2 million, while Disney’s Tron: Ares took a nosedive dropping more than 66% for a mere $11.1 million second frame haul. The path was clear for Derrickson and writer C. Robert Cargill’s sequel. The follow-up even outperformed its predecessor, with The Black Phone opening to $23.6 million back in 2022, albeit against much stiffer competition in the middle of the summer. All the same, that movie finished with $161 million worldwide, so this is a good omen.
