The October box office is experiencing a subdued period, but Blumhouse's horror sequel "Black Phone 2" has emerged as a bright spot, dialing in $10.7 million across Friday and preview screenings and heading towards a No. 1 opening. Universal is projecting a three-day total of $24.4 million for the film from its 3,411 North American locations, slightly surpassing the original "Black Phone's" 2022 debut of $23.6 million. Ethan Hawke returns as the serial killer known as the Grabber in the sequel, which benefits from premium large format auditoriums, boosting its grosses. This performance offers a potential bounce-back for Blumhouse after a challenging 2025 slate that included "Wolf Man," "The Woman in the Yard," "Drop," and "M3GAN 2.0." Despite its R-rating, "Black Phone 2" marks Blumhouse's biggest opening of the year, though its $30 million production budget is one of its costlier ventures. While critics and audiences have offered positive, albeit slightly cooler, reviews compared to the first film (CinemaScore 'B' vs. 'B+'), the sequel aims for a similar long theatrical tail, positioned as the premier horror release for the remainder of the Halloween season. Blumhouse also has "Five Nights at Freddy's 2" slated for December.

In contrast, Aziz Ansari’s comedy "Good Fortune" is facing a less fortunate debut, forecast to open around $5.9 million from 2,985 locations after earning just $2.4 million across Friday and preview screenings. This muted kick-off for the $30 million production comes despite a star-studded cast including Keanu Reeves, Seth Rogen, Sandra Oh, and Keke Palmer, coupled with solid reviews and positive audience buzz (CinemaScore 'B+'). Its struggles highlight the current difficulty of launching original R-rated comedies theatrically, though Sony's "One of Them Days" earlier in the year demonstrated some success in the genre.

Other films in the market are also facing challenges. Disney's "Tron: Ares" landed in second place, earning $3 million on Friday and is expected to see an $11 million sophomore outing, a significant 65% drop. Its North American total is projected to reach $54 million through its first 10 days, but with a $180 million production budget and disappointing international turnout, the sci-fi sequel is fading rapidly, making recouping its costs unlikely.

Warner Bros.' awards contender "One Battle After Another" is in a tight race for fourth, earning $1.1 million on Friday, down 45% from last week. The Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio epic has shown good week-to-week holds, but its North American total of $59 million through 22 days against a production budget north of $130 million suggests an estimated theatrical loss of around $100 million.

Paramount’s "Roofman" is falling to fifth place, with $1.1 million on its second Friday, looking at a $3.6 million sophomore outing (a 55% drop). Its domestic gross is expected to hit $15.4 million through Sunday, a muted run even for its slim $19 million production budget.

Angel Studios also opened the World War II thriller "Truth & Treason" in 2,106 venues this weekend. The PG-13 drama earned $1.1 million on Friday and is projected for a $2.8 million opening, landing it in sixth place. It received a glowing 'A' CinemaScore, typical for an Angel release. Meanwhile, Amazon MGM expanded its R-rated campus drama "After the Hunt" to 1,238 locations. The film, directed by Luca Guadagnino and starring Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, and Ayo Edebiri, earned about $650,000 on Friday and is headed for seventh place. Despite its high-profile cast and industry presence, negative reviews from its Venice Film Festival premiere and a disappointing 'C-' CinemaScore from audiences appear to have hobbled its performance.