Audiences returned to Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza in force over the post-Thanksgiving weekend, sending Universal’s Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 to a strong opening. The sequel grossed an estimated $63 million domestically on its first weekend, outperforming industry projections of $35 million to $40 million. International receipts added roughly $46 million from 76 markets, bringing the global tally to about $109 million. Meanwhile, Disney’s Zootopia 2 continued its long run, crossing roughly $915.8 million worldwide.
Key Takeaways
- Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 opened to an estimated $63 million domestically, well above the $35–$40 million forecast.
- The sequel’s international start was about $46 million from 76 markets, for a global weekend total near $109 million.
- Zootopia 2 earned an estimated $43 million this weekend and stands at $220.5 million domestically and $915.8 million globally.
- Wicked: For Good took third with $15.6 million in its third weekend, lifting its domestic total to $295.8 million.
- Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution debuted at approximately $10.2 million, finishing fourth for the frame.
- Now You See Me, Now You Don’t added $3.5 million this weekend, bringing its domestic gross to $55.3 million.
- Indie and specialty releases saw mixed results: Merrily We Roll Along opened to $1.2 million, Fackham Hall earned $620,909, and Hamnet expanded to $2.3 million.
- The overall box office is roughly 1% ahead of 2024 year-to-date revenue, below some analysts’ expectations for a full recovery.
Background
The Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise originated with Scott Cawthon’s horror video game series and established itself quickly in cinemas after the 2023 film’s surprise success. The original movie opened to $80 million domestically in 2023 and went on to gross nearly $300 million worldwide on a reported $20 million production budget, despite debuting simultaneously on Peacock. Video-game-to-film adaptations have lately connected with younger audiences, with previous hits such as The Super Mario Bros. Movie and A Minecraft Movie paving the way.
Blumhouse-Atomic Monster and Universal released the sequel, which arrives after a difficult year for Blumhouse-Atomic Monster that included several underperformers in 2025. The production company had recent success with Black Phone 2 in October and needed a commercial rebound; the modest $36 million reported production budget for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 suggests a strong profit potential if legs hold. Studio and exhibitor attention during the holiday window typically focuses on family and event titles, and this weekend’s mix reflected that competition.
Main Event
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 opened strongly with $63 million in domestic ticket sales, comfortably outstripping pre-weekend projections of $35 million to $40 million. The cast of returning actors includes Josh Hutcherson, Matthew Lillard, Elizabeth Lail and Piper Rubio, with Emma Tammi reprising directorial duties. The sequel’s premise follows a former pizzeria night guard confronting a new array of animatronic threats, and marketing leaned into scares timed for younger moviegoers on holiday break.
Internationally the film launched in 76 markets, earning an estimated $46 million from territories that included Mexico, the U.K., Australia, Brazil, Spain, Germany, Italy and France. That international intake pushed the global opening total to about $109 million, a figure analysts note is healthy given the film’s $36 million production budget. Universal and Blumhouse benefit from the title’s built-in fanbase and lower cost structure compared with higher-priced tentpoles.
Disney’s Zootopia 2, which dominated Thanksgiving weekend earlier, slowed but remained robust with an estimated $43 million this frame. The animated sequel has now grossed $220.5 million domestically and roughly $915.8 million worldwide, on track to clear $1 billion in global ticket sales if current momentum continues. Musical-driven Wicked: For Good continued to perform for three weeks, taking third with $15.6 million and moving its domestic total to $295.8 million.
Analysis & Implications
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’s outperformance of projections highlights the persistent box-office power of recognizable IP aimed at younger viewers. The film’s $36 million budget positions it to be highly profitable after marketing and distribution, especially if international markets sustain follow-through in coming weeks. For Blumhouse-Atomic Monster, the result represents a timely commercial recovery after several 2025 releases underperformed, suggesting the company’s low-budget horror model remains viable.
The success of video-game adaptations continues to be a notable trend: younger demographics are engaging with cinematic versions of gaming properties, and studios are responding with investments in familiar franchises. Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations framed the pattern as a generational shift in taste, noting that these adaptations ‘have captured the attention of a younger generation of moviegoers.’ If studios can reliably monetize this appetite, it may reshape development slates toward franchise-friendly, lower-cost projects.
However, the broader theatrical market still faces headwinds. Overall box office revenue sits only about 1% ahead of 2024, short of many expectations that 2025 would resemble pre-pandemic annual grosses near $9 billion. Holiday holdovers like Wicked and Zootopia 2 help exhibitors, but long-term recovery depends on a mix of sustained tentpole performance and studios committing to theatrical windows that favor cinemas.
Comparison & Data
| Title | Weekend (Estimated) | Domestic Total | Global Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 | $63.0M | $63.0M | $109.0M |
| Zootopia 2 | $43.0M | $220.5M | $915.8M |
| Wicked: For Good | $15.6M | $295.8M | — |
| Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution | $10.2M | $10.2M | — |
| Now You See Me, Now You Don’t | $3.5M | $55.3M | — |
The table shows the scale difference between the top domestic openers and the long-running holiday tentpoles. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’s opening sits below the 2023 original’s $80 million launch but remains strong relative to cost. Zootopia 2’s cumulative global number dwarfs most entries this season, underscoring the continued box-office appeal of major family animations. Smaller specialty films occupy the lower tiers and will rely on awards buzz or platform expansion to grow totals.
Reactions & Quotes
Industry analysts and exhibitors took different tones on what the weekend indicates for the rest of the season, balancing optimism over surprise hits with concern about the broader recovery path.
These video game adaptations are slaying at the box office; they have captured the attention of a younger generation of moviegoers like no other genre.
Jeff Bock, Exhibitor Relations
Bock’s comment frames the commercial logic behind greenlighting game-based projects: predictable audiences, lower budgets and built-in marketing hooks. Exhibitors say titles that draw young audiences on holiday breaks can be particularly valuable for weekday holdover performance.
Every film this holiday season is going to have to punch above its weight if we’re going to get anywhere close to that benchmark.
Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore
Dergarabedian’s view places the weekend in the longer-term context of annual box-office recovery, noting that single-weekend wins won’t automatically restore pre-pandemic grosses. ComScore data shows overall revenue is only about 1% above 2024, a modest gain insufficient to meet some analysts’ projections.
Unconfirmed
- Whether Netflix’s reported acquisition terms for Warner Bros. will materially alter theatrical release strategies remains uncertain and was not confirmed by studio executives in this weekend’s reporting.
- Long-term box-office legs for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 beyond the next two weekends are projections, not certainties; audience retention is unproven for this sequel.
Bottom Line
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 delivered a commercially meaningful opening, demonstrating that lower-budget horror tied to identifiable IP still has traction in theaters. The $63 million domestic start and $109 million global opening give Universal and Blumhouse-Atomic Monster a profitable runway if the title holds reasonably well in subsequent weeks. For Blumhouse, the result is a welcome counterpoint to earlier 2025 misfires and may help stabilize the production slate.
At the same time, the overall theatrical market’s modest year-over-year gains indicate recovery is incomplete. Zootopia 2’s march toward $1 billion and steady grosses from Wicked show that event and family fare remain vital; yet the sector’s dependence on a handful of strong week-to-week performers leaves exhibitors and studios wary. The coming weeks, including holdovers and upcoming blockbusters, will be decisive in whether the industry can close the year closer to pre-pandemic norms.
Sources
- Variety — Entertainment trade reporting and box-office roundup (original report)
- Exhibitor Relations — Industry analytics and analyst commentary (trade)
- Comscore — Box-office marketplace trends and data (market research)