What Does Ready Or Not 2's Box Office Mean For The Future Of The Franchise?

The story of the weekend was unquestionably "Project Hail Mary." Starring Ryan Gosling, the sci-fi movie dominated the box office with an $80.5 million opening. However, that wasn't the only story of the weekend. Disney's Searchlight Pictures also released "Ready or Not 2: Here I Come," the sequel to the 2019 horror/comedy "Ready or Not." And despite not making as big of a splash, it did similarly well for itself.

Directed once again by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the "Ready or Not" sequel opened to an estimated $9.1 million in theaters domestically, landing in fourth place. It additionally brought in $2.8 million overseas for an $11.9 million global debut. That said, the movie carries a reported $14 million production budget, meaning it was pretty cheap to make. Box office success is all relative, and, relatively speaking, this is a solid opening for a film of this size.

Despite hitting theaters nearly seven years after its predecessor, the "Ready or Not" sequel picks up with Grace (Samara Weaving) mere moments after she survived her deadly game with the Le Domas family. She then discovers that she's reached yet another level of this nightmare, with her estranged sister Faith (Kathryn Newton) now at her side for another deadly gambit.

The opening weekend for "Ready or Not 2" looks better when we consider that horror fans have a lot to choose from right now. "Scream 7" has been dominating at the box office since it opened a few weeks ago, and it added another $4.3 million over the weekend (with $200 million worldwide just on the horizon). And let's not forget that "Undertone," "Send Help," and "The Bride!" are still around as well. So, does the "Ready or Not" property have a future beyond this sequel? The short answer is ... maybe.

I can't comment, from a story POV, whether or not another sequel would make sense. What I can say confidently is that "Ready or Not 3" should be financially viable for Disney and Searchlight Pictures, assuming they decide to make such a thing.

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett made the first "Ready or Not" for $6 million. It opened to $8 million in August 2019, en route to nearly $58 million worldwide against stellar reviews. It was a sleeper hit. The sequel was also cheap (though slightly more expensive) and has likewise been met with a very positive response. It's low-risk/high-reward franchise filmmaking.

/Film's BJ Colangelo wrote that "Ready or Not 2" is "double the fun the second time around" in her review. The movie currently holds a solid 75% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes to go with a great 90% audience rating. It even has a B+ CinemaScore, which is really good for a horror movie. Word of mouth should be strong. Even if it doesn't purely profit in theaters, it will get close enough to ensure it becomes a money-maker on VOD/streaming.

Assuming that the directors aren't too busy after directing Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz in "The Mummy 4," a third installment in this franchise could easily be warranted. At their current cost, so long as these movies don't bomb in theaters, they're great streaming plays. Any box office revenue helps get them closer to profit and generates buzz for their streaming release. Really, any franchise movie at this cost with great reviews feels like a no-brainer. If Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett are open to it, "Ready or Not 3" could happen for real.

"Ready or Not 2: Here I Come" is in theaters now.