“Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” stunned the box office this weekend, opening in 3,412 theaters across the U.S. and Canada with an estimated $63 million in ticket sales, far exceeding expectations. The sequel defied widely negative reviews, achieving the biggest post-Thanksgiving weekend opening ever, the largest opening of 2025 for a PG-13 film, and the second biggest horror opening behind “The Conjuring: Last Rites.”
The film, based on the popular video game about murderous animatronics at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, reunited cast members Josh Hutcherson, Matthew Lillard, and Elizabeth Lail under director Emma Tammi. Written by the game’s creator Scott Cawthon, the sequel saw dismal critical reception, with some calling it an “incoherent mess,” yet fans proved eager to see it. PostTrak polling showed that 70% of viewers said they would “definitely” recommend the film to friends.
Jim Orr, Universal’s head of domestic distribution, said the film’s strong debut “helped drive the industry to the biggest first weekend post-Thanksgiving ever.” With a production budget of only $36 million, the sequel is already shaping up to be another major success, highlighting the continued value of theatrical releases.
The box office also saw other strong performers. “Zootopia 2” earned $43 million in its second weekend, while “Wicked: For Good” took third with $16.8 million. Gkids’ anime “Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution” opened with $10.2 million, and Lionsgate’s “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” earned $3.5 million, bringing its global total to $210 million. Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair” added $3.3 million, receiving a rare A+ CinemaScore.
Meanwhile, the Tony-winning filmed revival “Merrily We Roll Along” opened with $1.2 million from 1,084 screens, just outside the top 10. This weekend pushed the annual domestic box office past $8 billion, showing a strong recovery for theaters, though industry analysts note that reaching $9 billion for the year will require multiple films to overperform.
Top 10 Domestic Box Office (Estimated Friday–Sunday)
- Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 — $63 million
- Zootopia 2 — $43 million
- Wicked: For Good — $16.7 million
- Jujutsu Kaisen: 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
Paraluman P. Funtanilla
Paraluman P. Funtanilla is Tutubi News Magazine's Marketing Specialist and is a Contributing Editor. She finished her degree in Communication Arts in De La Salle Lipa. She has worked as a Digital Marketer for start-up businesses and small business spaces for the past two years. She has earned certificates from Coursera on Brand Management: Aligning Business Brand and Behavior and Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content. She also worked with Asia Express Romania TV Show.
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
