'Black Phone 2' wins N. America box office

Pallade Veneta - 'Black Phone 2' wins N. America box office

CULTURE 19.10.2025

'Black Phone 2' wins N. America box office / Photo: VALERIE MACON - AFP/File

"Black Phone 2," a horror sequel starring Ethan Hawke, captured the top spot at the North American box office with $26.5 million as spooky season shifts into high gear in the run-up to Halloween, industry estimates showed Sunday.

Change text size:

The film from Universal and low-budget horror specialists Blumhouse has excellent critical and audience scores, said analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.

"This is an excellent opening for the second episode in a horror series," Gross said.

"Tron: Ares," the latest installment in the Disney sci-fi franchise, followed up a disappointing debut with $11.1 million in its second week for second place in the United States and Canada, Exhibitor Relations reported.

The action flick -- which stars Jared Leto, Greta Lee and Evan Peters -- tells of mankind's first encounter with artificial intelligence in the real world. Experts and industry press said it cost $180 million to make.

"Good Fortune," comedian Aziz Ansari's directorial debut, opened in third place at $6.2 million. The Lionsgate film -- a body-swap comedy -- stars Seth Rogen, Keanu Reeves and Ansari.

Paul Thomas Anderson's action thriller "One Battle After Another," starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn, ended the Friday to Sunday period in fourth place with $4 million.

DiCaprio stars as a washed-up far-left revolutionary who is dragged back into action to help his daughter, while Penn plays his ruthless military nemesis.

And "Roofman," starring Channing Tatum in the real-life tale of a former soldier-turned-thief who breaks out of prison and finds himself hiding out in a toy store, finished in fifth place with $3.7 million.

Rounding out the top 10 are:

"Truth & Treason" ($2.7 million)

"Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie" ($1.7 million)

"The Conjuring: Last Rites" ($1.6 million)

"After the Hunt" ($1.56 million)

"Soul on Fire" and "Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle" (tied at $1.3 million)

E.Magrini--PV

Jersey Boys Anniversary Tour Opens in Birmingham With Gritty Account of Crime and Fame

The 20th-anniversary tour of Jersey Boys has opened at Birmingham’s Alexandra Theatre, offering a gritty and unvarnished look at the Four Seasons’ journey. The production details the band's turbulent rise from New Jersey petty criminals to international rock stars, highlighting the complex personal costs behind their musical success.

UBC professor describes police call after Galloway remark as act of care

VANCOUVER — A University of British Columbia professor has testified about a colleague’s decision to call police to visit Steven Galloway after he was accused of sexual assault, describing it as an “act of care” toward the author, who had spoken of killing himself. Galloway, who is suing his accuser and others in a defamation trial centred on the unproven allegations, has described his subsequent committal to a hospital in the United States as “terrifying.

Pallade Veneta - 'Black Phone 2' wins N. America box office