Can It Break Blumhouse’s Field Workplace Streak?

Black Cellphone 2 is dialing in for the Halloween season, and it may finish an unlucky field workplace streak for Blumhouse that has lasted virtually two years. 2021’s The Black Cellphone was a satisfying return to the horror style for director Scott Derrickson. The Sinister filmmaker discovered success with one other disturbing flick that turned Ethan Hawke right into a rising horror icon.

Within the upcoming sequel, Hawke returns as The Grabber, a terrifying serial killer who kidnapped youngsters and trapped them in his basement earlier than in the end killing them. Whereas he himself was killed by Mason Thames’ Finney, he is returning in a extra disturbing, non secular kind to satisfy his vengeance towards Finney and his pals.

The primary Black Cellphone was successful with critics and audiences, scoring an 81% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It was a field workplace success as properly, incomes $161.4 million worldwide on a $16-$18 million funds. Its follow-up has potential to carry out even higher on the field workplace, and will earn an achievement for Blumhouse that it hasn’t had since 2023.

Black Cellphone 2 Can Be Blumhouse’s First No. 1 Movie At The Weekend Field Workplace Since 2023’s 5 Nights At Freddy’s

2025 hasn’t been the very best yr for Blumhouse on the field workplace. All the studio’s theatrical releases thus far — Wolf Man, The Girl within the Yard, Drop, and Megan 2.0 — underperformed on the field workplace. These movies did not attain No. 1 for any weekend they performed in theaters, carrying over the same outcome for the studio from 2024.

The final time Blumhouse had a No. 1 movie was 2023’s 5 Nights at Freddy’s, which held the No. 1 spot in its first two weekends. In its opening weekend, the movie made $80 million domestically and $132 million worldwide, regardless of releasing on Peacock the identical day. It grossed $297.1 million all through its theatrical run, and is Blumhouse’s highest-grossing movie.

Whereas 5 Nights at Freddy’s 2 will seemingly additionally carry out properly, Black Cellphone 2 has a robust probability at breaking the studio’s disappointing streak. The primary movie was a field workplace hit, but additionally constructed belief with audiences because it acquired constructive reactions. The Grabber additionally gained reputation as a brand new horror antagonist, and might be a draw for style fans.

One other benefit the movie has is a scarcity of competitors. A part of Blumhouse’s troublesome stretch has been a mixture of poorly acquired movies and a aggressive market. 2024’s Communicate No Evil didn’t overtake Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and Megan 2.0 could not sustain with F1: The Film. Whereas different horror motion pictures are releasing in October, Black Cellphone 2‘s major competitors might come from Disney.

Tron: Ares premieres on October 10, every week earlier than The Grabber’s return. If word-of-mouth for Ares is robust, it may lower into Black Cellphone 2‘s field workplace. Nonetheless, the 2 movies have drastically totally different audiences that will not intrude with one another. As it’s the Halloween season, Black Cellphone 2 might be the best choice for audiences on the lookout for a scary expertise.