“The Black Phone 2 ” is ringing in at the box office this weekend.

Blumhouse and Universal’s terrifying sequel has made $2.625 million in Thursday previews. It’s estimated to open with $23 million to $29 million, though some projections are coming in more conservatively at $18 million.

The first “Black Phone,” which introduced Ethan Hawke’s creepy kidnapper The Grabber, opened to $21 million back in 2021 when theaters were just starting to reopen after the COVID-19 pandemic. It went on to make $161 million globally, becoming a surprise hit. With a $30 million budget, “The Black Phone 2” will hopefully turn Blumhouse’s box office fortunes around after it suffered misfires earlier this year like “Wolf Man,” “The Woman in the Yard,” “Drop” and “M3GAN 2.0.”

The sequel brings back Mason Th

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