1 in North America ahead of Disney’s tentpole Tron-Ares after being credited by critics for expanding the Black Phone universe and scoring strong audience exits, including a B CinemaScore (that’s a great grade for the horror genre).
Also notable: Latinos, the most frequent moviegoers in the U.S., made up the largest segment of the audience at roughly 39 percent.
Internationally, Mexico led all markets with $4.3 million, a huge number for a horror title.
In North America, it grossed an estimated $4 million from 2,532 theaters for a fourth-place finish and domestic tally of $61.9 million.
Overseas, the Paul Thomas Anderson-directed awards contender another earned $11.8 million from 71 markets for a foreign tally of $100.6 million.
Blumhouse is moving forward again.
In spite of a relatively modest $30 million production budget, Scott Derrickson’s Black Phone 2 gave horror guru Jason Blum a significant victory with a better-than-expected $26.5 million domestically from 3,411 theaters and $15.5 million from 72 markets abroad, for a global start of $42 million. The film’s release comes after a run of failures for the Universal-based banner, which last year included the costly failure of M3GAN 2.0.
The sequel was a resounding failure. After receiving praise from critics for extending the Black Phone universe and garnering high audience exits, including a B CinemaScore (a fantastic rating for the horror genre), the film debuted at number one in North America, surpassing Disney’s tentpole Tron-Ares. Notable are Latinos, who go to movies the most in the United States. A. represented the largest audience segment, accounting for about 39% of the total. With $4.03 million, Mexico topped all international markets—a significant sum for a horror film.
Mason Thames plays Finn in the follow-up, while Ethan Hawke reprises his role as Grabber, the serial killer. In the sequel, Finn’s younger sister, Gwen (played by Madeleine McGraw), is threatened by the evil killer, who is seeking revenge on him from beyond the grave.
Universal projected the film’s opening gross at $18 million going into the weekend, but prerelease tracking proved to be accurate in spotting that the R-rated follow-up would gross more than the original.
Opening in 2021, just as theaters were beginning to recover from COVID, Black Phone made $23 and a half million in North America before becoming a sleeper hit and grossing over $161 million worldwide (before horror fatigue hit the box office).
Tron: After dropping more than 65 percent in its second showing to an estimated $11.1 million from 4,000 theaters for a 10-day domestic total of $54.6 million, Ares finished second in North America. For a total foreign cume of $49.4 million and $103 million worldwide, the threequel made an additional $14.1 million abroad, including a pitiful $2.8 million from its Chinese premiere (the problem? Ares cost a net $180 million to produce).
This weekend, Lionsgate’s comedy Good Fortune, directed by Aziz Ansari, debuted nationwide, but despite positive reviews and a stellar cast that includes Keanu Reeves, Sandra Oh, Keke Palmer, Seth Rogen, and Ansari, it didn’t find much gold. With an estimated $6.02 million from 2,990 locations nationwide, the $30 million film, which tells the story of a shabby guardian angel sent to save someone’s soul, finished in third place.
The Warner Bros. In its fourth weekend of release, One Battle After Another crossed the $100 million milestone globally, bringing its total to $162.05 million. It earned an estimated $4 million from 2,532 theaters in North America, placing it in fourth place with a $61+9 million domestic total. From 71 markets, the Paul Thomas Anderson-directed awards contender made an additional $11 million, for a total of $100 million abroad.
Despite a $19 million budget, Miramax’s crime comedy Roofman, which starred Channing Tatum and Kirstin Dunst, finished in the top five during its second weekend with $3.77 million from 3,379 theaters, for a domestic total of $15.5 million and $16.44 million worldwide. Distribution duties in the United States are under Paramount. S. . the United States. K. . and Canada.
Based on a true story, Truth and Treason, a Nazi holocaust drama from Angel Studios, debuted in sixth place with $2.07 million from 2,106 locations. The only recently released film in the country to receive an A CinemaScore was this one.
After the Hunt, a psychological thriller directed by Luca Guadagnino, grew from six to 1,238 theaters in its second weekend at the box office, earning $1.06 million for ninth place and a location average of $1,257 (which is comparable to Truth & Treason’s location average of $1,292). However, a C- CinemaScore was given to the award contender. The ensemble cast, led by Julia Roberts, consists of Michael Stuhlbarg, Andrew Garfield, Chloë Sevigny, and Ayo Edebiri.
There will be more.
