A scene from “Buddy.”
Roadside Attractions/Saban Films
Buddy, a horror comedy about a costumed character gone awry on a classic children’s TV show, is projected to make more money in its second weekend in theaters than it did in its opening frame.
Written by Casper Kelly and Jamie King and directed by Kelly, Buddy takes place in the magical environment of It’s Buddy, a TV series where kids spend their days singing and dancing to help the title character (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key) of the show help spread happiness and bring life lessons to its young viewers.
However, when one of the kids on the show refuses to play along with Buddy’s games, the happy-go-lucky character begins to crack and shatters the show’s seemingly perfect world. Suddenly, the children need to find a way to escape the show that they find themselves trapped in.
Rated R, Buddy also stars Cristin Milioti, Topher Grace, Michael Shannon and Delaney Quinn, and features the voices of Patton Oswalt and Eric Bauza (Coyote vs. Acme).
A Roadside Attractions and Saban Films release, Buddy earned $5.3 million in North American ticket sales from 1,258 theaters Aug. 28-31, which made it the biggest opening in theaters in 2026 for a film that premiered on fewer than 1,800 screens. The opening for Buddy was the second-biggest bow in Roadside Attractions’ 23-year history (2018’s I Can Only Imagine is No. 1 after earning $17 million in its first frame), and the biggest opening for a Saban Films release in the company’s 12-year history.
Even more remarkable is that Buddy’s $5.3 million take was double the amount it was projected to open with, as tracking suggested a $2.5 million bow, according to Deadline.
Weekend 2 Ticket Sales For ‘Buddy’ Are Up 5% Over Its Debut Weekend
Roadside Attractions and Saban Films projects that Buddy will earn $5.7 million from Sept. 4-6, a 5% increase over the film’s opening weekend.
Buddy’s increase in second-weekend business is a rare occurrence in Hollywood, as only one other film — Curry Barker’s horror movie blockbuster Obsession — attained the feat in 2026. Like Obsession, Buddy’s increase in second-weekend business marks a rare feat for an R-rated independent non-franchise film.
Buddy’s running domestic tally stands at $14.2 million. The film has not yet opened in international markets.
In addition to attracting big crowds, Buddy has won over Rotten Tomatoes reviewers with an 89% “fresh” critics score based on 123 reviews. RT’s Critics Consensus for the film reads, “Buddy weaponizes the cheery conventions of children’s entertainment into an inventive, hilarious, and creepy descent into pop culture madness.”
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