Blumhouse Productions has long been a leading name in horror, but until now, its 2025 lineup faced a series of box office disappointments. The rapid surge of Black Phone 2, directed by Scott Derrickson and starring Ethan Hawke, changed that narrative, hitting a major $50 million worldwide milestone within just a week of release.
The film earned approximately $36 million domestically and $15.2 million from international markets, quickly escaping the shadow of other Blumhouse releases, including The Wolf Man and Drop, which failed to reach even $45 million globally.
The sequel’s powerful start was seeded at the box office opening weekend, with a $26.5 million haul in North America and strong international numbers. Released near Halloween, Black Phone 2 leveraged audience anticipation for haunting cinematic experiences amidst a surge of horror interest nationwide.
The film saw only an 11% drop in ticket sales from Wednesday to Thursday in its first week, a sign of impressive day-to-day consistency for a genre film.
Critics and analysts point to several factors fueling this box office momentum: positive word-of-mouth, the lingering impact of the original 2022 hit, targeted marketing toward Latino and Hispanic viewers, and Ethan Hawke’s chilling reprise as The Grabber.
Promotional efforts included Spanish-language radio and social campaigns, helping push the film’s highest recommendation rates among Latino and Native American audiences, while the over-25 demographic remained robust.
Business Impact: Blumhouse Rebounds, Outperforming Horror Rivals
Black Phone 2’s runaway success demonstrates a vital rebound for Blumhouse, marking a return to relevance after a tough two years of commercial and critical slumps.
The studio, which built its brand on combining modest budgets with high-return horror, saw previous releases like M3GAN 2.0 and The Wolf Man struggle to connect.
This sequel outpaced other horror hits of 2025, topping Until Dawn ($54.1 million) and The Long Walk ($53.8 million) at the global box office, all on a similarly lean production budget.
By contrast, tentpole projects from rival studios failed to match Black Phone 2’s daily earnings and audience engagement, even as the broader horror category broke domestic records with $1.2 billion earned, setting a new high since 2017.
The Black Phone 2 (Credit: Universal Pictures)
Industry experts note Blumhouse’s strategic timing as essential: Black Phone 2’s release near Halloween amplified audience interest, and Derrickson’s creative partnership added credibility. Social buzz, especially among younger audiences, boosted ticket sales beyond core horror demographics.
Steady attendance and impressive daily grosses further highlight the staying power of the franchise, suggesting Black Phone 2 may climb even higher before its theatrical run ends.
Future Prospects: A Win for Original Horror and Studio Adaptability
For Blumhouse, the milestone hit signals more than just a financial rebound; it shows the enduring power of low-budget, high-concept horror and effective franchise building.
Ethan Hawke’s performance remains central to audience appeal, and the studio’s willingness to invest in sequels grounded in strong original storytelling may guide its next slate of releases.
Black Phone 2’s record-breaking momentum positions it as one of the studio’s top-performing sequels and adds credibility for upcoming projects already in development, from live-action adaptations of hit graphic novels to new horror series.
Successes like these encourage further investment and challenge studios to better engage fans across diverse backgrounds.
Looking ahead, Blumhouse’s strategy of targeted marketing and rapid sequel production could reshape horror’s business model, especially as box office data drives future decisions.
With Black Phone 2’s blockbuster trajectory and expanding international presence, the studio stands ready to lead the genre into a new era of innovation and wider cultural resonance.
Black Phone 2’s ascent to a major box office milestone restores Blumhouse’s confidence and reasserts its reputation as horror’s go-to studio.
Ethan Hawke’s return, resonant marketing, and genre craft have electrified audiences, ensuring this 2025 sequel remains a benchmark for the rest of the year’s releases. Audiences can expect more scares, more success, and a lasting legacy for Black Phone’s cinematic universe as Blumhouse plans its next chapter.
Talamasca: The Secret Order marks AMC’s latest addition to its Immortal Universe, extending storylines from Interview With the Vampire and Mayfair Witches. This new series centers on the enigmatic Talamasca, a secretive organization dedicated to monitoring supernatural entities, vampires, witches, spirits, and more.
Introducing fresh faces and returning characters, the show embellishes Anne Rice’s mythology with a modern spy thriller twist.
At the heart of the story is Guy Anatole (Nicholas Denton), a sharp and unconventional recruit thrust into the shadows of the Talamasca just before graduating from law school. Denton’s portrayal wins praise for blending earnestness with complexity, exploring a morally gray world shaped by secrecy and ancient power struggles.
Guy’s journey from outsider to insider is fraught with tangled loyalties and hidden agendas, giving viewers a relatable yet mysterious lead to follow.
Supporting characters amplify the narrative’s depth. Helen (Elizabeth McGovern) heads the New York Talamasca motherhouse and serves as Guy’s mentor, wielding a blend of warmth and ruthless pragmatism shaped by years within the organization.
William Fichtner’s Jasper adds a magnetic presence as a vampire harboring a righteous yet dangerous ambition, his blend of camp and menace elevating the supernatural stakes considerably.
Meanwhile, Maisie Richardson-Sellers’s Olive serves as Guy’s American handler, portrayed with a compelling presence that hints at layered motivations behind her allegiance to the Talamasca.
Talamasca: The Secret Order (Credit: IMDb)
Céline Buckens contributes as Doris, a strong-willed member of a coven of witches living on a houseboat, adding mystical and grounded dimensions to the cast.
The inclusion of familiar Immortal Universe faces like Eric Bogosian’s Daniel Molloy and Justin Kirk’s Raglan James bridges this show with previous story arcs, weaving continuity while enriching the mystery.
Jason Schwartzman’s Burton, a flamboyant vampire with whimsical quirks, provides both levity and a window into the broader vampire world, balancing the series’ tension.
Spy Drama Meets Supernatural Intrigue
Talamasca emerges as a unique hybrid of secret agent thriller and supernatural drama, creating fresh storytelling opportunities that distinguish it from its forerunners.
The series exposes the Talamasca’s global footprint, with motherhouses in New York and London spearheading covert operations to protect human society from paranormal threats while pursuing their own cryptic objectives.
Plotlines pivot on Guy’s undercover mission to London, where he seeks a lost book of Talamasca wisdom while grappling with personal questions about the fate of his birth mother, a former Talamasca operative. This personal arc grounds the espionage narrative and explores themes of identity, memory, and inherited legacies.
The intricate politics among Talamasca members highlight shifting alliances and the uneasy balance between duty and personal ambition.
Series creator John Lee Hancock and his team emphasize tension and unpredictability, with twists that challenge viewers’ assumptions about friend and foe alike.
Yet some critics point to episodes where the pacing wavers or character development is uneven, especially concerning Guy’s personality shifts, which seem driven more by plot needs than consistent characterization.
Despite this, the layered relationships, especially between Guy and Jasper, bring dynamic complexity to the unfolding drama, underscoring power plays, manipulation, vulnerability, and reluctant trust.
The series also leans into a campy, dramatic flair that suits the supernatural spy context. Jasper’s love of contemporary country music and his lead actor Fichtner’s theatrical swagger add distinctive charm, preventing the show from becoming too gloomy. Helen’s stylish presence and occasional dry humor provide further texture, contrasting the often dark and mysterious atmosphere pervading the Talamasca’s operations.
What’s Next for Talamasca?
With its blend of mystery, supernatural elements, and spy thrills, Talamasca: The Secret Order provides an accessible entry point for new viewers while rewarding longtime Anne Rice fans with its expanding lore.
The show’s strong cast chemistry, particularly between Denton’s Guy and McGovern’s Helen, sets the stage for deeper explorations of the Talamasca’s shadowy world.
Critically, the series has garnered mixed responses. Praise centers on its intriguing premise, effective world-building, and standout performances, while criticisms note uneven narrative focus and underdeveloped characters outside the core duo.
Still, the groundwork laid in this first season promises rich potential, with complex ethical questions about surveillance, trust, and power poised to drive future episodes.
As Talamasca unfolds, it taps into broader cultural conversations about secrecy, hidden threats, and the gray areas between good and evil. Its supernatural lens highlights how organizations wield influence in marginalized realms, paralleling real-world dynamics of control and resistance.
If this series continues to sharpen its character depth and plot cohesion, it could emerge as a defining chapter within AMC’s Immortal Universe, expanding Anne Rice’s legacy as a cornerstone of paranormal storytelling.
This guide offers a thorough snapshot of Talamasca: The Secret Order’s distinctive characters and narrative ambitions. Viewers curious about a supernatural espionage series with layered character dynamics and thought-provoking intrigue will find much to anticipate in the episodes ahead.
