‘Black Phone 2’ Rings Up $42M Global Bow; ‘Tron: Ares’ Squeaks Past $100M & ‘One Battle After Another’ Tops Century Mark Overseas To Reach $163M WW – International Box Office

Blumhouse's 'Black Phone 2' debuted strongly with a $42 million global opening, including $15.5 million internationally, surpassing its predecessor and comparable horror titles in key markets like Mexico and the UK. In contrast, Disney's 'Tron: Ares' continued its underperformance, adding $14.1 million internationally for a $103 million global total, with a disappointing $2.8 million China launch, now projected to finish closer to $150 million worldwide. Meanwhile, Warner Bros.' 'One Battle After Another' demonstrated robust holdover performance, pushing its global gross to $162.5 million, and Universal/DreamWorks' 'Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie' secured strong No. 1 openings in the UK and Spain, contributing to its $28.2 million international cume.

Analysis

Blumhouse's 'Black Phone 2' launched strongly with a $42 million global opening, including $15.5 million internationally, significantly outperforming its predecessor and comparable horror titles. Key market successes included a $4.3 million No. 1 debut in Mexico and a UK opening 19% above the first film, underscoring the franchise's growing international appeal.

Conversely, Disney's 'Tron: Ares' continued to underperform, adding $14.1 million internationally for a $103 million global total, with a disappointing $2.8 million China launch. The film is now projected to finish closer to $150 million globally, marking a substantial commercial disappointment for the studio.

Warner Bros.' 'One Battle After Another' demonstrated robust holdover strength, dropping only 38% internationally to add $11.8 million, pushing its global cume to $162.5 million. Meanwhile, Universal/DreamWorks' 'Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie' secured strong No. 1 openings in the UK and Spain, contributing $6.8 million to its $28.2 million international total and exceeding comparable animated titles. These varied performances highlight diverse market successes across film genres.

Key Decisions for Investors

• Investors should assess the content pipeline and genre diversification of media companies, favoring those with proven success in specific niches like horror and family animation.
• Re-evaluate Disney's (DIS) content strategy and long-term earnings projections, given the significant commercial underperformance of 'Tron: Ares' and its implications for tentpole franchise execution.
• Consider the consistent revenue generation from critically acclaimed films, as demonstrated by Warner Bros. (WBD), which provides a stable counterpoint to volatile blockbuster performance.