Weekend Box Office Preview: Can Anyone Unplug ‘Black Phone 2’?

As the spooky season continues, the box office is bracing for a competitive weekend with four new wide releases aiming to capture diverse audiences. While last week’s champion, Black Phone 2, looks to hold onto its top spot, a wave of new films—an anticipated anime feature, a musical biopic, and a romantic drama based on a best-selling novel—are all entering the ring. This crowded field sets the stage for a fascinating box office showdown.

This upcoming weekend box office preview will break down the projections for the major new releases. We’ll look at the buzz surrounding Sony/Crunchyroll’s Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, 20th Century Studios’ Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, and Paramount’s Regretting You, and analyze their chances of dethroning the reigning horror hit.

Weekend Box Office Preview: October 25-27

‘Black Phone 2’ Aims for a Second Win

After a strong debut, Universal and Blumhouse’s horror sequel Black Phone 2 is poised to win the box office for a second consecutive weekend. Riding a wave of positive reviews and strong word-of-mouth, the Scott Derrickson-directed film is expected to see a relatively soft drop of around 55%.

Projections have Black Phone 2 earning between $10 million and $17.7 million in its second frame. The film’s success is a testament to the power of well-executed horror, a genre that consistently draws audiences to theaters, especially in October. With Halloween just around the corner, its spooky themes give it a significant advantage over the incoming competition.

‘Chainsaw Man’ Slices into Theaters

Of the newcomers, Sony and Crunchyroll’s Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc has the best chance to overperform and potentially challenge for the number one spot. Based on the wildly popular manga series by Tatsuki Fujimoto, the film targets a dedicated and enthusiastic fanbase of young men aged 18-34.

• Projected Opening: $11 million to $15 million
• Theater Count: 3,000+ locations, including most IMAX and premium large format screens.
• The Appeal: The Chainsaw Man brand is incredibly strong, with the manga having sold over 31 million copies and a successful 2022 anime series building a global following. Theatrical anime releases have been on a hot streak, as demonstrated by the phenomenal $70 million opening of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle earlier this year. While Chainsaw Man isn’t expected to reach those historic heights, it proves that a built-in anime fanbase can translate to huge box office numbers. Only eight anime films have ever opened above $10 million domestically, and Chainsaw Man looks set to comfortably join that exclusive club.

‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’ Courts an Older Audience

20th Century Studios is betting on The Boss with Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, a musical biopic starring The Bear‘s Jeremy Allen White. The film chronicles the creation of Bruce Springsteen’s iconic 1982 album, “Nebraska,” a more somber and less commercial chapter in his career.

• Projected Opening: $8 million to $12 million
• Theater Count: 3,400 theaters
• The Challenge: While Springsteen is a music legend, the film’s focus on a specific, darker period of his work may limit its mass appeal. The box office comparison being watched closely is last year’s Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, which opened to $11.6 million and had strong legs. Deliver Me From Nowhere will need to attract not only die-hard Springsteen fans but also general adult audiences who appreciate prestige dramas and musical history. Its $55 million budget means it will need sustained interest beyond opening weekend to be considered a success.

‘Regretting You’ Hopes to Tap into the Colleen Hoover Phenomenon

Paramount is bringing another one of mega-selling author Colleen Hoover’s novels to the big screen with Regretting You. The film follows the enormous success of It Ends With Us, which became a breakout hit with a stunning $50 million opening.

• Projected Opening: $8 million to $11 million
• Theater Count: 3,300 theaters
• The Target: The film is aimed squarely at women under 35, the core demographic of Hoover’s readership. The story centers on the complex relationship between a mother (Allison Williams) and her daughter (Mckenna Grace) in the wake of a family tragedy. However, early tracking suggests that Regretting You is not generating the same level of pre-release buzz as It Ends With Us. While the Hoover brand is powerful, the success of the first adaptation was partially fueled by off-screen controversy surrounding its stars. Regretting You will have to rely solely on the strength of its story and the loyalty of Hoover’s fans.

Weekend Projections and Final Thoughts

This upcoming weekend box office preview points to a tight race where any of the top films could land in a different order than projected.

1. Black Phone 2: Likely to hold the top spot with an estimated $10M – $17.7M.
2. Chainsaw Man – The Movie: The strongest contender among new releases, projected at $11M – $15M.
3. Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere: Aiming for a solid debut around $8M – $12M.
4. Regretting You: Expected to land in the $8M – $11M range.

While no single film is expected to have a blockbuster opening, the variety of genres should bring different demographics to the multiplex. Chainsaw Man has the highest ceiling and could surprise with a weekend win if its passionate fanbase turns out in force. However, the continued momentum of Black Phone 2 and its seasonal relevance make it the safest bet to remain champion. It’s a crowded weekend that will test the drawing power of anime, musical biopics, and literary adaptations against the reliable appeal of a well-made horror flick.