Blumhouse needs Black Phone 2 to deliver at the box office

It can be said that Blumhouse the The name in modern horror. As the studio behind massive franchises like “Paranormal Activity” and game-changing singles like “Get Out,” The House That Jason Blum Built has earned its cult status. However, the studio experienced a difficult period at the box office between 2024 and 2025, as the flops far outweighed the successes. As a result, it is desperate for the success of the upcoming “Black Phone 2.” Can director Scott Derrickson strike gold twice?

“Black Phone 2” is currently looking to debut domestically in the $20 million to $28 million range when it opens next weekend, according to Box office theory. This will be, by a wide margin, Blumhouse’s biggest opening of the year and the studio’s best debut since Five Nights at Freddy’s slumped to $80 million at the box office in 2023. “Freddy’s” became Blumhouse’s biggest film ever With $297 million worldwide.

2022 “The Black Telephone”, based on the Joe Hill story of the same nameopened with $23.6 million on its way to a major overperformance of $161.4 million worldwide, all against a very reasonable budget of $18 million. $71.3 million of that money came from abroad. So, the sequel is in good shape, with those early estimates suggesting it will be a similarly huge success. Although its budget has yet to be revealed, Blumhouse has never made a film exceeding the $30 million range, and that streak is unlikely to be snapped here.

“Black Phone 2” once again focuses on Finn (Mason Thames), now 17, who is struggling for life after being held captive by The Grabber (Ethan Hawke). Meanwhile, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) begins receiving calls in her dreams from the black phone. Determined to solve the mystery that links her haunting vision to the real-life winter camp at an alpine lake, she and Finn decide to visit the latter during a bad storm. Unfortunately, it turns out that The Grabber is waiting for them there from beyond the grave. Yes, “Black Phone 2” trailers have made it clear.: The Grabber is filled with Freddy Krueger this time.

It just cannot be stressed enough How tough things have been for Blumhouse at the box office lately. Even setting aside 2024’s disappointments like “Fancy” and “Scared,” 2025 has been one disaster after another. It all started with “Wolf Man” ($35 million worldwide / $25 million budget), which fell well short of lofty expectations. It got worse when “The Woman in the Yard” ($23 million worldwide/$12 million budget) and “Drop” ($28 million worldwide/$11 million budget) failed to become original hits for the studio.

And the worst came When M3GAN 2.0 absolutely bombed at the box officetaking in just $39 million worldwide against a budget of $25 million. The original film was a smash hit, earning nearly $182 million to its name. Needless to say, fair or not, this has put a lot of pressure on the Black Phone 2 to deliver the goods. Blumhouse can’t afford another major disappointment.

The good news is that director Scott Derrickson has delivered for Blumhouse in the past. Sinister grossed nearly $90 million worldwide on a meager $3 million budget. Derrickson reunited with screenwriter and producer C. Robert Cargill for the sequel, crafting an original story that would serve as a continuation of Hill’s short story that inspired the first film.

Additionally, critics seem to be on the side of the film so far. In his review of “Black Phone 2” for /FilmRafael Motamayor called it a “fantastic sequel” that “explores new avenues and adds to the experience of the first film.” It’s also the actual big horror movie favorite of the Halloween season, which will help the cause. At least for now, this movie seems like it has a good chance of ending Blumhouse’s cold streak.

“Black Phone 2” hits theaters on October 17, 2025.