Five Nights at Freddy's 2 had the second-biggest opening weekend of the year for a horror movie at the box office, but fell short of the first film

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Horror movies are having a spectacular year at the box office, with Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 becoming the latest record-breaking success in the genre. During its first weekend, the sequel grossed $63M domestically and $109M worldwide, becoming the second-biggest horror opening of the year only after Conjuring: Last Rites.

Per Deadline, the film has also snatched the biggest opening for a post-Thanksgiving theatrical release, the top opening for a December horror release – beating Scream 2 – and the third best opening ever for a PG-13 horror movie after Five Nights at Freddy's and World War Z.

Although it didn't reach the heights of the first movie's $160M global opening weekend in 2023, the horror flick won the battle of the sequels on its first weekend, passing Disney's highly popular Zootopia 2 – which had a massive first week at the box office – and the musical Wicked: For Good at the weekly domestic box office. In fourth place was Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution, a special release ahead of Jujutsu Kaisen season 3.

Following Netflix's acquisition of Warner Bros last week, a deal that has shaken Hollywood, some are seeing this new box office success as a reaffirmation of movie theaters. "With Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, Emma Tammi, Scott Cawthon and our great partners at Blumhouse delivered a raucous, thrilling, scary sequel that our very enthusiastic fanbase could not wait to come see and experience in theatres around the world this weekend. These spectacular box office results were exactly what the industry needed," said Universal's domestic distribution boss, Jim Orr.

Starring returning stars Josh Hutcherson and Piper Rubio, Five Nights at Freddy's 2 picks up one year after the first movie, as ex-Freddy Fazbear security guard Mike, his little sister Abby, and his supposed love interest Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail) all attempt to live an ordinary life. Unfortunately, Freddy's has become a kitschy local legend in the town, with the first annual FazFest ready to take place in a few days.

Mireia is a UK-based culture journalist and critic. She previously worked as Deputy Movies Editor at Digital Spy, and her work as a freelance writer has appeared in WeLoveCinema and Spanish magazines Fotogramas, Esquire, and Elle. She is also a published author, having written a book about Studio Ghibli's 'Kiki's Delivery Service' in 2023. Talking about anime and musicals is the best way to grab her attention.

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