Horror sequel Black Phone 2 is now in theaters, and the movie took in $2.625 million from Thursday preview screenings. Opening weekend estimates now sit somewhere between $23 million and $29 million, though some projections are coming in more conservatively at $18 million.
Regardless, Black Phone 2 should still claim the top spot domestically.
Last week's No. 1., Disney's Tron: Ares, shows no signs of rebounding after a disappointing debut, and the only other competition will come from Lionsgate's Good Fortune, starring Keanu Reeves, Seth Rogen and Keke Palmer, which is expected to open with $6 million to $8 million.
The Black Phone 2 review embargo lifted last night, and the movie is now "certified fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes with a 74% score.
Do you plan on seeing the sequel in theaters? Let us know in the comments section.
Four years ago, 13-year-old Finn killed his abductor and escaped, becoming the sole survivor of The Grabber. But true evil transcends death … and the phone is ringing again.
Four-time Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke returns to the most sinister role of his career as The Grabber seeks vengeance on Finn (Mason Thames) from beyond the grave by menacing Finn’s younger sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw). As Finn, now 17, struggles with life after his captivity, the headstrong 15-year-old Gwen begins receiving calls in her dreams from the black phone and seeing disturbing visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp known as Alpine Lake. Determined to solve the mystery and end the torment for both her and her brother, Gwen persuades Finn to visit the camp during a winter storm. There, she uncovers a shattering intersection between The Grabber and her own family’s history. Together, she and Finn must confront a killer who has grown more powerful in death and more significant to them than either could imagine.
From returning visionary writer-director Scott Derrickson, Black Phone 2 is written again by Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill, based on characters created by Joe Hill. The film is produced by Jason Blum, Derrickson and Cargill. The executive producers are Joe Hill, Adam Hendricks and Ryan Turek. The cast includes Oscar nominee Demián Bichir (The Nun, A Better Life) as the supervisor of the camp, Arianna Rivas (A Working Man) as his niece, Miguel Mora (The Black Phone) as the brother of one of The Grabber’s victims, and Jeremy Davies, returning as Finn and Gwen’s father, Terrence. Other new cast members include Maev Beaty (Beau is Afraid) and Graham Abbey (Under the Banner of Heaven).