Hidden Empire Film Group’s Meet The Blacks 2 Lands In Top Ten At Box Office Despite Low Theater Count

Co-founded by Deon Taylor and Roxanne Avent Taylor, Hidden Empire Film Group’s highly anticipated horror comedy THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR: MEET THE BLACKS 2, the follow-up to the 2016 indie hit MEET THE BLACKS, opened strong in 420 theaters nationwide on Friday, June 11 earning an estimated three-day weekend box office of $1,064,000 with a Per Screen Average of $2,533. With sell-outs across the country, demand remained high through Sunday pre-sales and will be met by an expansion for week 2.

Carl Black (Mike Epps) is about to face off with the neighbor from hell (Katt Williams) in The House Next Door. Carl has only ever wanted the best for his family, but after surviving the events that led to his (not-so-)bestselling book, he’s moving everyone to his childhood home, where’s he’ll contend not only with his wife Lorene (Zulay Henao) and kids Allie (Bresha Webb) and Carl Jr. (Alex Henderson) but everyone who drives him crazy: Cronut (Lil Duval), Freezee (Andrew Bachelor), Rico (Tyrin Turner), and an entire neighborhood of characters who seem to attract strange activity after dark. And nothing could be more freaky than his new neighbor Dr. Mamuwalde (Williams), who may or may not be a vampire. From co-writer/director Deon Taylor (Fatale, The Intruder), as the Meet the Blacks universe expands, it will be up to Carl to figure out what his neighbor is up to in the middle of the night before it’s too late for him and his family.

“This weekend’s box office is a major win on so many levels,” said Deon Taylor, co-writer/director of THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR:MEET THE BLACKS 2 and co-founder of Hidden Empire Film Group. “As independent Black filmmakers, we want to tell stories that will resonate with the culture, especially since there are not many films released each year that are catered to the Black and Brown audiences through the traditional studio system. The Hidden Empire team worked tirelessly to self-release this hilarious film, which was the sequel to our 2016 breakout hit MEET THE BLACKS, to an underserved market. Given this weekend’s results, we couldn’t be more proud and happier. Thank you to the audiences who sold out theaters across the country and also, our wonderful exhibition partners who gave us a home and allowed this movie to be seen in the way it should be…on the big screen. We are so appreciative for all the love and I’m excited for more people to check out THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR: MEET THE BLACKS 2 as it continues to grow in its theatrical run!”