2025 is proving to be a huge comeback year for the horror genre! And if you needed proof, Blumhouse just grabbed the weekend crown with Black Phone 2. Universal’s sequel rang up $26.5 million from Friday to Sunday, moving past the 2021 original’s $23.6 million start and knocking Disney’s sci-fi blockbuster, Tron: Ares, into second place. If you’re keeping score, horror has already brought in $1.2 billion domestically this year, topping 2017’s record. Those numbers are everything Hollywood needs to warm up the ol’ sausage machine.
But Universal’s marketing for Black Phone 2 should be rewarded. Their push began May 30 with five moody teasers delivered via sinister SMS from a Colorado number. Jason Blum rode that momentum into CCXP Mexico the next day to drop the first trailer. Black Phone 2 then world-premiered at Fantastic Fest on September 20, where horror creators Sam and Colby tied in a custom video to 3 million followers. On September 30, the film co-hosted TikTok’s Halloween event, built ringing phone booths and immersive sets, and timed content to ticketing beats. Shudder takeovers (September 19 through Halloween) hit 3.5 million users. A Discord mini-game, a custom R.E.P.O. mod, and a Taylor Swift–adjacent TikTok surround kept the conversation loud where it counts.
Thankfully, it all paid off and the audience matched the ambition. “Visionary filmmaker Scott Derrickson and our partners, the masters of horror at Blumhouse, have once again crafted a haunting triumph that captivated audiences this weekend. This chilling sequel starring Ethan Hawke and Mason Thames is leaving moviegoers everywhere thrilled and terrified in the best possible way,” said Universal Domestic Distribution Chief Jim Orr.
Across the aisle, Tron: Ares slid 67% to $11.1 million and sits at $103 million worldwide after ten days, with IMAX adding $4.5 million this frame. Good Fortune opened to $6.2 million on a modest $2.5 million linear spend and decent audience scores, but awareness lagged. If you’re releasing a mid-budget comedy, where’s your activation hook? If you’re Disney nursing a fragile sci-fi brand, what’s your second-week plan?
Blumhouse has its next move ready in December with Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. The practical takeaway for everyone else: build community before opening day, target the demos that convert, and give horror fans an experience they can post about, not just a trailer they can skip.
So, yeah, Black Phone 2 is actually crushing Tron: Ares.
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