Against all odds, the horror sequel 'Five Nights at Freddy's 2' has defied critics and broken box office records! Despite receiving overwhelmingly negative reviews, the film has proven that sometimes, the audience has the final say.
The movie, which opened in 3,412 theaters across the U.S. and Canada, raked in a staggering $63 million in its opening weekend. This impressive figure far exceeded expectations, especially considering the post-Thanksgiving timeframe, which typically sees a dip in movie attendance. In fact, 'Five Nights at Freddy's 2' achieved the biggest opening weekend ever for the period following Thanksgiving! It also boasts the biggest opening of the year for a PG-13 rated film and the second-biggest horror opening, trailing only 'The Conjuring: Last Rites'.
The film's success is even more remarkable when you consider the source material: a family restaurant, Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, where the animatronic characters turn sinister at night. This premise, combined with the original game's devoted fanbase, has clearly struck a chord with audiences.
Jim Orr, who leads domestic distribution for Universal, noted that the film 'helped drive the industry to the biggest first weekend post-Thanksgiving ever.'
The first film, also a Blumhouse production, was a surprise hit two years ago, opening with $80 million in October 2023, even while being available on Peacock. Universal's decision to release the sequel exclusively in theaters appears to have paid off handsomely. With a production budget of only $36 million, 'Five Nights at Freddy's 2' is well on its way to becoming another box office success. This highlights the continued potential of theatrical releases, especially at a time when the industry is watching closely the impact of acquisitions like Netflix's purchase of Warner Bros.
The sequel, written by the game's creator Scott Cawthon, features returning cast members such as Josh Hutcherson, Matthew Lillard, and Elizabeth Lail, along with director Emma Tammi. However, the reviews were scathing, even worse than the first film. Mark Kennedy of The Associated Press called it an 'incoherent mess.' But horror fans, as they often do, turned out in droves. According to PostTrak polling data, a remarkable 70% of ticket buyers said they would 'definitely' recommend the film to their friends.
Paul Dergarabedian of Comscore suggests that the teen video gamer audience is sometimes underestimated, and this weekend proves that this audience will show up for the communal experience of the theater, given the right film.
Meanwhile, the family-friendly 'Zootopia 2' secured second place in its second weekend, adding $43 million in North America. The Disney film is doing incredibly well after its record-breaking Thanksgiving opening. With a global total of $915.8 million, it has pushed Walt Disney Studio releases over the $5 billion mark globally—a feat unmatched by any other studio this year.
'Wicked: For Good', another Universal release, took third place with $16.8 million from 3,985 theaters in its third weekend, nearing $297 million domestically. The anime 'Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution' debuted in fourth place with an estimated $10.2 million, while Lionsgate's 'Now You See Me: Now You Don't' rounded out the top five with $3.5 million, bringing its global total to $210 million.
'Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair' was close behind with $3.3 million from 1,198 theaters. Quentin Tarantino combined 'Kill Bill: Vol. 1' and 'Vol. 2' into a four-hour and 35-minute epic. The Lionsgate release received an A+ CinemaScore from an audience that was 72% male. The studio is exploring an extended run due to the high demand for film prints. 'Kill Bill' star Lucy Liu had a big weekend at New York’s AMC Lincoln Square, where the independent drama 'Rosemead' made $50,243 from one screen.
A filmed version of the Tony-winning revival of 'Merrily We Roll Along,' starring Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe, and Lindsay Mendez, opened just outside the top 10 with $1.2 million from 1,084 screens.
The running annual domestic box office surpassed $8 billion this weekend. Since the pandemic, it has only surpassed $9 billion once, in 2023, when 'Barbie' topped the year. Before 2020, it would regularly hit $11 billion.
Dergarabedian stated that 'every movie is going to have to overperform in some way if we’re going to get to the $9 billion threshold.'
Here's the top 10 movies by domestic box office:
- 'Five Nights at Freddy’s 2,' $63 million.
- 'Zootopia 2,' $43 million.
- 'Wicked: For Good,' $16.7 million.
- 'Jujutsu Kasen: Execution,' $10.2 million.
- 'Now You See Me: Now You Don’t,' $3.5 million.
- 'Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair,' $3.3 million.
- 'Eternity,' $2.7 million,
- 'Hamnet,' $2.3 million.
- 'Dhurandhar,' $1.9 million.
- 'Predator: Badlands,' $1.9 million.
Do you think the success of 'Five Nights at Freddy's 2' is a sign of a changing landscape in film criticism, or is it simply a testament to the power of a dedicated fanbase? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
