‘Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’ Scares Up $45M-$47M Opening,Claims No. 1 Spot
The horror sequel Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 debuted to an estimated $45 million to $47 million domestically, securing the top position at the box office despite a competitive landscape heading into the busy holiday season.The film’s performance marks a notable win for Blumhouse Productions adn Global Pictures, capitalizing on the fervent fanbase established by the first installment and the popular video game franchise.
The opening weekend success arrives as theaters brace for increased activity through Christmas, with shoppers seeking entertainment alongside gift-buying and party-going. Five Nights at Freddy’s initially drew a remarkably young audience-80% under the age of 25-with a slight male skew of 57% to 43%. While initial forecasts predicted a $35M-$40M+ opening, the film exceeded expectations, though concerns remain about expanding its appeal beyond the core demographic. The first film opened to $39.6M, with previews accounting for 26% of that total, but experienced a -39% drop on Saturday, potentially influenced by its simultaneous availability on Peacock.
Elsewhere, Disney’s Zootopia 2 followed with an estimated $40 million in its first week, totaling $118.8M. Wicked: For Good (Universal) landed in third with $72.7 million in its second week, bringing its total to $280.2M. Now you See Me: Now you Don’t (Lionsgate) earned $9.1 million, totaling $51.2M over three weeks. Rounding out the top five were Predator: Badlands (Disney) with $6.1 million ($86.4M total) and The Running Man (Paramount) with $4.86 million ($35.3M total).
Gkids’ anime release, Jujutsu Kaisen: The Movie – Execution, garnered $1.6 million in combined Wednesday and Thursday previews, benefiting from IMAX screenings. This figure is 53% lower than Crunchyroll’s $3.4 million previews for chainsaw Man: Reze Arc, which ultimately opened to $18 million. Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution combines the Shibuya incident arc with the debut of episodes from the Culling Game arc and is available in both subtitled and dubbed versions.
