The post-Halloween weekend box office delivered a mix of familiar frights and art-house surprises, marking a quiet period before the holiday blockbuster season kicks into gear. In the October 31-November 2 box office recap, a horror sequel clawed its way back to the top, while an unconventional new film from a celebrated director made an impressive splash.
Here’s the full breakdown of the weekend’s box office results.
‘Black Phone 2’ Reclaims #1 Spot, Crosses $100 Million Worldwide
Proving the Halloween spirit lingers, Universal and Blumhouse’s horror sequel ‘Black Phone 2‘ has returned to the #1 spot at the domestic box office. The Ethan Hawke-led thriller earned an estimated $6.8 million over the slow weekend, demonstrating its staying power with horror audiences.
The film’s most significant achievement, however, happened on the global stage. This weekend, ‘Black Phone 2‘ officially surpassed the coveted $100 million mark worldwide. For a sequel with a modest budget in the $20-25 million range, this is a major financial victory. It cements the “Black Phone” series as a profitable new franchise for Blumhouse and shows that star-driven, well-crafted horror can thrive long after opening weekend.
‘Bugonia’ Delivers Record-Breaking Debut for Yorgos Lanthimos
The weekend’s most intriguing story belongs to the new arthouse sci-fi film, ‘Bugonia‘. Directed by the master of surreal cinema, Yorgos Lanthimos, the film opened with a solid $5 million domestically.
While $5 million may seem small in comparison to blockbuster totals, it is a massive success for a Lanthimos film. This represents the best-ever domestic debut for the acclaimed director, outperforming his previous award-winning films like The Favourite and Poor Things. Starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, ‘Bugonia‘ follows two conspiracy theorists who kidnap a CEO they believe is an alien.
The strong opening proves Lanthimos’s growing brand recognition among cinephiles. With rave reviews and early awards buzz, ‘Bugonia‘ is positioned for a long and healthy run at the box office as it expands into more theaters, fueled by critical acclaim and audience curiosity.
The Rest of the Box Office Top Five
The rest of the top five consisted of holdovers rounding out a slow weekend.
* Last week’s number one, the sci-fi actioner ‘Starfall’, fell to third place with $4.5 million.
* The romantic comedy ‘Just This Once’ held steady in fourth with $3 million.
* The animated family film ‘Critter Crew’ rounded out the top five with $2.2 million.
The box office is now in a holding pattern, awaiting the major holiday releases set to arrive later in November. For now, a reliable horror hit delivered the profits while a challenging artistic film provided a very promising surprise.
