Blumhouse's Black Phone 2 was the big winner at the domestic and international box offices this weekend, grossing a respectable $42 million worldwide.
$26.5 million of that came from North America, with $15.5 million pulled in from overseas. With a reported $30 million budget, this is a good start, though Blumhouse and Universal Pictures will likely be hoping for more in the weeks ahead.
Universal Domestic Distribution boss Jim Orr seemed pleased, anyway, telling Deadline, "Visionary filmmaker Scott Derrickson and our partners, the masters of horror at Blumhouse, have once again crafted a haunting triumph that captivated audiences this weekend."
"This chilling sequel starring Ethan Hawke and Mason Thames is leaving moviegoers everywhere thrilled and terrified in the best possible way," he added.
The movie received a "B" CinemaScore and has 74% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences have awarded it 85% on the Popcornmeter.
So, with Black Phone 2 taking the top spot, what of TRON: Ares? The sequel crashed and burned in its second weekend, with a disastrous 67% drop in the U.S. for a total of $11.1 million. It's only made $54.5 million domestically thus far, and with only $48.4 million from international markets (a drop of -54%), it's reached $103 million worldwide...on a reported $180 million production budget.
At this rate, the TRON and TRON: Legacy follow-up is well on the way to being one of the year's biggest box office flops.
The biggest loser (beyond Disney, of course) is likely to be lead star Jared Leto. In a recent report from The Wrap, TRON: Ares is described as "the last gasp" for the Oscar winner, with several agents telling the trade that "studios are no longer banking on the star [and] his time leading franchises or big-budget films is over."
Two upcoming projects Leto was attached to, Assassination and Lunik Heist, are no longer moving forward. The trade added, "One agent pointed out that Leto has been attached to 'Tron: Ares' since before 'Morbius' bombed — he boarded the project in 2017 and is a credited producer on the final film — and has secured few additional projects in the ensuing time."
Despite that, Leto does have Masters of the Universe on the horizon. Fortunately for Amazon MGM, he's playing Skeletor, a role that he'll likely only need to provide his voice for.
It remains to be seen what the future holds in store for the TRON franchise, though it's likely back on the shelf at Disney. Another animated TV series like TRON: Uprising could keep the property fresh in the minds of fans, but the odds of another movie seem beyond slim.
What did you watch in theaters this weekend?