Black Phone 2 Budget
HorrorThriller1h 54mUpdated
Synopsis
As Finn, now 17, struggles with life after his captivity, his sister begins receiving calls in her dreams from the black phone and seeing disturbing visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp known as Alpine Lake.
What is the budget of Black Phone 2?
"Black Phone 2," a horror released in 2025, was directed by Scott Derrickson and stars Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw. The production budget was $30,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for horror productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a horror production like this include:
- Practical Effects, Prosthetics & Makeup: Horror productions invest disproportionately in practical effects , prosthetic applications, animatronics, blood and gore effects, and creature suits. A single hero creature suit can cost $50,000 to 200,000.
- Atmospheric Production Design & Cinematography: Creating dread through environment is essential. Abandoned locations must be secured and dressed, lighting rigs designed for shadow and tension, and sets built to enable specific camera movements and reveals.
- Sound Design & Score: Horror is arguably the most sound-dependent genre. Foley work, ambient textures, frequency manipulation, and jump-scare stingers require specialized sound designers working with unconventional techniques.
- Production: In June 2022, Scott Derrickson said that while Joe Hill was protective of his 20th Century Ghosts eponymous story, the author had pitched him a "wonderful idea" for a sequel that he was open to directing if The Black Phone (2021) was a success.
What were the major cost factors in Black Phone 2?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Black Phone 2."
- Practical Effects: Practical Effects, Prosthetics & Makeup is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
- Atmospheric Production Design: Atmospheric Production Design & Cinematography is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
- Sound Design: Sound Design & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
How Does Black Phone 2's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $30,000,000, Black Phone 2 sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- A Hologram for the King (2016): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $9,169,507
- A Lot Like Love (2005): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $42,886,719
- Big Momma's House (2000): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $173,959,438
- Crazy Rich Asians (2018): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $238,539,198
- Doomsday (2008): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $22,472,631
The median budget for wide-release horror films in the 2020s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Black Phone 2 Box Office Performance
"Black Phone 2" earned $77,378,880 domestically and $132,248,152 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $30,000,000, the film performed strongly at the box office.
A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "Black Phone 2," that break-even threshold was roughly $60,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $132,248,152, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $30,000,000
- Worldwide Gross: $132,248,152
- Net Return: $102,248,152
- ROI: approximately 340.8%
At 340.8%, "Black Phone 2" earned roughly $4.41 for every $1 invested in production.
Awards and Recognition
8 nominations total
Critical Reception
Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of B on an A+ to F scale, lower than the B+ earned by its predecessor.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Black Phone 2 (2025)?
The production budget was $30,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $15,000,000 - $24,000,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $45,000,000 - $54,000,000.
How much did Black Phone 2 (2025) earn at the box office?
Black Phone 2 grossed $77,378,880 domestic, $54,869,272 international, totaling $132,248,152 worldwide.
Was Black Phone 2 (2025) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $30,000,000 and estimated total costs of ~$75,000,000, the film earned $132,248,152 theatrically - a 341% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing Black Phone 2?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Ethan Hawke); practical creature effects, atmospheric cinematography, and psychologically engineered sound design.
How does Black Phone 2's budget compare to similar horror films?
At $30,000,000, Black Phone 2 is classified as a low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release horror films in the 2020s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: A Hologram for the King (2016, $30,000,000); A Lot Like Love (2005, $30,000,000); Big Momma's House (2000, $30,000,000).
Did Black Phone 2 (2025) go over budget?
There are no widely reported accounts of significant budget overruns for this production. However, studios rarely disclose precise budget overrun figures publicly. The reported production budget reflects the final estimated cost.
What was the return on investment (ROI) for Black Phone 2?
The theatrical ROI was 340.8%, calculated as ($132,248,152 − $30,000,000) ÷ $30,000,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Black Phone 2 (2025) win?
8 nominations total.
Who directed Black Phone 2 and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Scott Derrickson, written by Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill, shot by Pär M. Ekberg, with music by Atticus Derrickson, edited by Louise Ford.
Where was Black Phone 2 filmed?
Black Phone 2 was filmed in United States of America. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Black Phone 2
Official Trailer
Budget Templates
Build your own production budget
Create professional budgets with industry-standard feature film templates. Real-time collaboration, no spreadsheets.
Start Budgeting Free
