Halloween was light on box office treats this year. With no new releases and the spooky holiday falling on a Friday—meaning many families were out trick-or-treating rather than visiting theaters—ticket sales nearly ground to a halt. Revenues from Friday through Sunday totaled just $49 million, marking the worst weekend of the entire year, according to Comscore.

Another scary statistic: this weekend closes out the lowest-grossing October in 27 years. Domestic earnings stalled at an abysmal $425 million, the poorest haul since October 1997, which brought in $385 million (not adjusted for inflation). This ignominious record excludes 2020, when theaters had not yet rebounded from the pandemic.

Although Halloween is traditionally a slow period for the box office, October usually signals the launch of studios’ awards hopefuls. Instead of providing a box office jolt, however, both Oscar contenders and big-budget tentpoles struggled to find traction. Titles such as Dwayne Johnson’s *The Smashing Machine*, Luca Guadagnino’s *After the Hunt*, Disney’s *Tron: Ares*, and *Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere* showed little sign of life.

In a surprise win, the Colleen Hoover adaptation *Regretting You* rose to No. 1 with $8.1 million from 3,424 theaters in its sophomore outing. However, Universal’s *Black Phone 2* was close behind, earning $8 million from 3,305 venues. The final rankings could shift once Monday’s official numbers are released.

*Regretting You* declined just 41% from its debut, bringing its North American ticket sales to $27.5 million and $50 million globally, against a $30 million budget. *Black Phone 2* has grossed $61 million domestically and $104 million worldwide to date.

In another potential photo finish, Netflix’s re-release of *KPop Demon Hunters* likely tied for third place with Sony and Crunchyroll’s *Chainsaw Man The Movie: Reze Arc*, with both films estimated to earn around $6 million over the weekend. Netflix has not reported grosses for *KPop Demon Hunters*, which played in 2,890 theaters; these projections come from rival studios and exhibitors. This marks the second theatrical run for the animated musical, which first screened in August and became Netflix’s most popular film ever, leading the North American box office with roughly $18 million.

*Chainsaw Man The Movie: Reze Arc* topped the box office last weekend and has grossed $30 million in North America to date.

In fifth place, *Bugonia*, the latest collaboration between director Yorgos Lanthimos and star Emma Stone, successfully expanded nationwide. It earned $4.8 million from 2,043 theaters. The film features Stone as a high-powered tech CEO kidnapped by two conspiracy theorists who believe she is an extraterrestrial being sent to destroy Earth.

*Bugonia* received a “B” grade on CinemaScore exit polls, a middling reception that isn’t unusual for a polarizing film. Ticket buyers skewed younger and predominantly male, with men accounting for 61% of audiences and 24- to 34-year-olds representing 39% of the crowd.

More box office updates to come.
https://variety.com/2025/film/box-office/halloween-box-office-worst-weekend-weekend-2025-1236567966/