Can 'Five Nights at Freddy's 2' Recreate the Success of the Original at the Box Office?

The animatronic horror returns as 'Five Nights at Freddys 2' aims to thrill audiences and draw significant ticket sales. The PG-13 sequel, set in the eerie Freddy Fazbears Pizza, is projected to earn between $35 million and $40 million from 3,300 theaters across North America during its opening weekend. While these numbers are notably lower than the 2023 hit, the first movie adaptation of the video game franchise launched with a remarkable $80 million domestically, despite also being available on streaming platforms.

Unlike its predecessor, the new installment will be screened exclusively in theaters over the weekend. Blumhouse founder Jason Blum has acknowledged that simultaneous streaming releases were not ideal, saying it complicated the market for consumers and the business itself. The original movie eventually grossed nearly $300 million worldwide, becoming Blumhouses highest-grossing production.

Blumhouse, renowned for its low-budget horror hits, has faced a challenging year at the box office. Apart from Black Phone 2, the studio has seen multiple underperforming releases including Wolf Man and M3GAN 2.0. The new Five Nights installment, with a production budget of $36 millionup from the originals $20 millionhopes to reverse this trend.

Director Emma Tammi returns for the sequel, with original game creator Scott Cawthon back as a writer. The story brings back Josh Hutcherson as former security guard Mike and delves into the chilling origins of Freddy Fazbears Pizza. Although reviews remain under embargo, fan anticipation suggests critical response may have little impact, mirroring the first films success despite a low Rotten Tomatoes score of 33%.

Strategically, the release avoids early Decembers typical lull, although it will contend with Disneys Zootopia 2, which is projected to maintain the top spot with $44 million to $50 million in its second weekend. The animated blockbuster previously earned $158 million domestically in its first five days and has since reached $163.1 million in North America and $589 million globally.

Meanwhile, Wicked: For Good is expected to drop to third place with $21 million to $25 million, after generating $269 million in North America and $391 million worldwide in three weekends.

Other new releases aiming for smaller openings include Gkids anime feature Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution, projected at $8 million to $10 million; Quentin Tarantinos epic Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair, estimated at $5 million to $10 million; Sony Pictures Classics filmed Broadway production Merry We Roll Along, around $3 million; and Bleecker Streets period comedy Fackham Hall with similar earnings.

Author: Natalie Monroe