Black Phone 2 Tops Box Office, Bolsters 2025 Horror

Black Phone 2 opened at No. 1, earning $26.5 million domestically (about $42 million worldwide) and quickly surpassing its roughly $30 million production budget, continuing a strong year for horror at the box office. Critics say the sequel improves on the original by foregrounding a poignant brother–sister story and staging memorable set pieces such as the Grabber stalking victims on ice skates. Director Scott Derrickson has said a third Black Phone will only happen if it avoids being a retread, balancing fan expectations with fresh storytelling. The film’s performance displaced higher-budget releases such as Tron: Ares, underscoring continuing audience appetite for franchise follow-ups and original ideas. Separately, Conjuring director Michael Chaves says The Conjuring: Last Rites was intended as the conclusion of the Warrens’ saga and that, for now, the series is finished.