“Regretting You” Leads as US Domestic Box Office Hits Year’s Lowest Weekend

The North American box office stumbled into its worst weekend of 2025, with total revenues estimated at just $49 million. October has now officially become the lowest-grossing October in 27 years, with roughly $425 million in total domestic earnings — a grim throwback to 1997 levels (not adjusted for inflation).

Despite the overall chill, a few titles managed to stay afloat. Paramount’s Regretting You, in its second weekend, claimed the top spot with $8.1 million, narrowly beating Universal’s The Black Phone 2, which earned $8 million. Both films benefited from strong word-of-mouth but operated in an otherwise lifeless marketplace.

Regretting You Holds Strong at No. 1

Based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, Regretting You continued to show solid legs, dipping just 41% from its debut. The romantic drama — starring Isabela Merced and Jenna Ortega — has now earned $27.5 million domestically and $50 million worldwide against a $30 million budget. The film’s strong female audience base and steady turnout in suburban multiplexes have turned it into one of autumn’s rare success stories.

Hoover’s brand is proving cinematic gold for studios. Her previous adaptation, It Ends With Us, became last year’s sleeper hit, and more of her novels — including Verity and Reminders of Him — are in active development for 2026 releases. Paramount’s performance here demonstrates the growing influence of “book club cinema” amid a season usually dominated by horror and franchise fare.

Black Phone 2 Nears $100 Million Worldwide

Universal’s The Black Phone 2 stayed right behind, dropping 38% in its third weekend with an $8 million haul. The Blumhouse sequel has now reached $61.4 million domestically and $104 million globally, marking one of the studio’s few bright spots this year. While it couldn’t maintain the staying power of the first film, Black Phone 2 continues to draw genre fans and stands as Blumhouse’s top performer of 2025 so far.

The sequel’s momentum offers a modest win for theatrical horror, even as the broader genre output — including The Smashing Machine and After the Hunt — failed to ignite. Universal will look to extend its streak when Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 releases in December.

Chainsaw Man and KPop Demon Hunters in a Close Finish

The weekend’s most intriguing competition came from overseas animation. Sony and Crunchyroll’s Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc earned $6 million, a steep 67% drop from its debut but enough to stay near the top three. Meanwhile, Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters — which returned to theaters after becoming a streaming phenomenon — is estimated to have matched that total, though Netflix is not reporting grosses.

For Chainsaw Man, domestic earnings now stand at $30.7 million, with international totals pushing the film to $139 million worldwide. The result underscores anime’s continuing box office vitality, a trend that has persisted through Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, and now Chainsaw Man.

Bugonia Expands Nationwide

Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia was the only major film to expand wide this frame, jumping from limited release to 2,043 theaters. The Focus Features drama collected $4.8 million, marking a strong expansion considering its cerebral tone. Reuniting Lanthimos with his Poor Things star Emma Stone, the film follows a tech CEO kidnapped by two conspiracy theorists who believe she’s an alien sent to destroy Earth.

Audiences gave it a middling “B” CinemaScore, though that’s typical for Lanthimos’ divisive work. Demographically, 61% of moviegoers were men, and nearly 40% were aged 24–34 — a reminder that prestige films still attract younger urban audiences even in a sluggish market.