Blumhouse and Scott Derrickson could own the box office this weekend as Black Phone 2’s box office numbers suggest a turnaround for the spooky studio. Previously, Blumhouse suffered a series of misfires, with MEGAN 2.0 becoming a total disaster, earning $39 million worldwide compared to the original’s $180 million global take. Still, Black Phone 2 is off to a strong start with $2.6 million in Thursday previews. If the sequel proves successful, Black Phone 2 could earn $18 million in domestic dollars, with some analysts predicting it could surpass $20 million.
Looking back, the first Black Phone movie was released after the peak of the COVID pandemic, when cinemas were in “Recovery Mode.” Black Phone dialed up $3 million in previews and went on to earn $23.6 million in North America.
Meanwhile, Lionsgate and Aziz Ansari’s Good Fortune, starring Seth Rogen, Ansari, Keke Palmer, Sandra Oh, and Keanu Reeves, took in $725,000 in previews. The film cost $30 million, with analysts anticipating a debut in the mid-to-high seven-figure range.
Here’s the official synopsis for Black Phone 2, courtesy of Blumhouse:
Ethan Hawke returns to the most sinister role of his career as The Grabber seeks vengeance on Finn (Mason Thames) from beyond the grave by menacing Finn’s younger sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw). As Finn, now 17, struggles with life after his captivity, the headstrong 15-year-old Gwen begins receiving calls in her dreams from the black phone and seeing disturbing visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp known as Alpine Lake. Determined to solve the mystery and end the torment for both her and her brother, Gwen persuades Finn to visit the camp during a winter storm. There, she uncovers a shattering intersection between The Grabber and her own family’s history. Together, she and Finn must confront a killer who has grown more powerful in death and more significant to them than either could imagine.
The sequel sees the return of Mason Thames (How to Train Your Dragon) as Finney Shaw, Madeleine McGraw (Secrets of Sulphur Springs) as Finney’s sister Gwen, Jeremy Davies (Justified) as their dad Terrence, and Miguel Mora, whose only previous credit is The Black Phone, as Robin, a friend of Finney’s who was killed in the first movie. This time, Mora is playing a character named Ernesto. As mentioned, Ethan Hawke (Moon Knight) is reprising the role of the child-killer The Grabber. New additions to the cast include Demián Bichir of The Hateful Eight, Arianna Rivas (A Working Man), and Anna Lore (Final Destination: Bloodlines).
