The horror sequel 'Five Nights at Freddy's 2' has delivered a massive jump scare to the North American box office, powering its way to a spectacular opening weekend. Defying negative critical reviews, the film earned a terrifyingly good $63 million from 3,412 theaters across the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates released on Sunday.
A Record-Breaking Haunt for Blumhouse
This impressive debut marks the biggest opening ever for the weekend after Thanksgiving, a period typically known for slower box office activity. The film also clinched the title of the biggest opening of the year for a PG-13 rated movie and secured the second-biggest horror opening of the year, trailing only behind 'The Conjuring: Last Rites'.
The success story mirrors that of its predecessor. The first 'Five Nights at Freddy's', also produced by Blumhouse, was a surprise hit in October 2023, opening to $80 million despite a simultaneous streaming release on Peacock. Learning from that, Universal Pictures opted for an exclusive theatrical release for the sequel. With a reported production budget of just $36 million, the film is already on a clear path to become another major financial success for the studio.
Gamers Flock Despite Critics' Pan
The film, which brings back the murderous animatronics of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, saw the return of director Emma Tammi and cast members Josh Hutcherson, Matthew Lillard, and Elizabeth Lail. It was written by the original game's creator, Scott Cawthon. While reviews were largely dismal, the film's core audience of horror and video game fans turned out in huge numbers, proving once again that critic-proof franchises are alive and well.
Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Comscore, noted that the teen video gamer audience is often underestimated. This weekend's performance proves that given the right film, they will enthusiastically turn up for the communal theater experience. Audience polling data from PostTrak supports this, showing that 70% of ticket buyers would 'definitely' recommend the film to friends.
Top Films: Zootopia 2 Stays Strong, Kill Bill Returns
The monstrous opening of 'Five Nights at Freddy's 2' was enough to push Disney's 'Zootopia 2' into second place in its second weekend. The family-friendly animated sequel added $43 million in North America, bringing its domestic total to a robust sum. Globally, the film is a juggernaut, with a running total of $915.8 million, having earned $219 million internationally from 52 territories, including China. This performance has officially pushed Walt Disney Studio's annual global releases over the $5 billion mark.
In third place, Universal's 'Wicked: For Good' earned $16.8 million in its third weekend, bringing its domestic total to nearly $297 million. The fourth spot was taken by the anime film 'Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution' from Gkids, which opened to an estimated $10.2 million. Lionsgate's magic heist film 'Now You See Me: Now You Don't' rounded out the top five with $3.5 million.
A special mention goes to Quentin Tarantino's combined epic, 'Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair', which earned $3.3 million from 1,198 theaters. The 4-hour, 35-minute film, which merges 'Vol. 1' and 'Vol. 2', received a rare A+ CinemaScore. Due to high demand, especially for its 70mm and 35mm prints, Lionsgate is exploring an extended theatrical run.
On the domestic front, the annual box office crossed the $8 billion mark this weekend. While this is a positive sign, the industry has only surpassed $9 billion once since the pandemic, in 2023. Before 2020, it regularly hit $11 billion annually.
