The domestic box office experienced a subdued weekend, with Universal and Blumhouse’s horror sequel “Black Phone 2” emerging as the top earner. The film grossed $26.5 million from 3,411 North American theaters, a performance that met expectations and slightly surpassed its predecessor's opening. In 2021, the original “Black Phone” debuted with $23 million during a period when cinemas were just beginning to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. A notable difference in the market landscape highlights the sequel's achievement; while the first film opened in fourth place amidst strong summer competition from blockbusters like “Elvis,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” and “Jurassic World: Dominion,” “Black Phone 2” benefited from a largely uncontested October release.

Globally, “Black Phone 2” has amassed $42 million, combining its domestic take with an additional $15.5 million from the international box office. Despite this promising start, the film carries a higher production cost of $30 million, compared to the original's $18 million. Audience reception, as indicated by CinemaScore exit polls, saw the sequel earn a “B” grade, a slight dip from the original’s “B+”. For Blumhouse, a prolific low-budget horror studio known for franchises like “Paranormal Activity,” “The Purge,” and “Halloween,” “Black Phone 2” is a crucial release. The company has faced a challenging year with several underperformers, including “Wolf Man” and “M3GAN 2.0,” making the sequel’s sustained success vital for a potential comeback. Blumhouse also has “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” slated for a December release.

Lionsgate’s R-rated comedy “Good Fortune” was another newcomer to the weekend, opening at No. 3 with a modest $6.2 million from 2,990 venues. Directed by and starring Aziz Ansari in his feature debut, the film features a cast including Keanu Reeves and Seth Rogen, revolving around an angel who orchestrates a body swap. Despite respectable critical reviews (78% on Rotten Tomatoes) and a favorable audience CinemaScore of “B+,” the $30 million-budgeted film struggled to attract a large enough audience. Industry consultant David A. Gross noted that while it was a fair opening for an original character-driven comedy, "Good Fortune" is unlikely to recoup its costs, even with star power like Keanu Reeves aiding ancillary business.

Securing second place was Disney’s sci-fi sequel “Tron: Ares,” which saw a significant 66% decline from its opening weekend, bringing in $11 million from 4,000 screens. After two weekends, its domestic total stands at $54.6 million, with a worldwide gross of $103 million. However, with a substantial production budget of $180 million and additional millions spent on promotion, “Tron: Ares” faces an uphill battle to profitability, requiring considerable staying power to justify its significant costs.

The broader October box office is currently trailing last year’s figures, down 11% from the same point in 2024, according to Comscore. Other films rounding out the top charts included Channing Tatum’s dramedy “Roofman” and Leonardo DiCaprio’s action-comedy “One Battle After Another.” “Roofman” earned $3.7 million in its second weekend, a 55% drop, bringing its domestic total to $15.5 million and global to $16.4 million against a modest $18 million budget. While these totals are paltry, the film's lower budget offers some resilience.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” collected $3.75 million in its fourth weekend, pushing its domestic total to $61 million. The Warner Bros. film has performed steadily overseas, adding $100 million for a global cumulative of $162.5 million. This is an impressive sum for an original, R-rated film spanning nearly three hours. Yet, with production costs exceeding $130 million and marketing expenses around $70 million, the film requires approximately $300 million to break even. Studio executives project a potential loss of $100 million during its theatrical run, though Warner Bros. disputes these estimates. Nevertheless, “One Battle After Another” is anticipated to be a significant contender in the upcoming Oscar race, providing value beyond immediate financial returns for the company.