These Horror Movies Did Spooktacularly At The Box Office, According To Data
Are you excited to see Saw XI, The Conjuring: Last Rites, or Scream 7, which are all slated to be released next year? Will you be at their box office premieres? It's expected that Saw XI and Scream 7 in particular could break box office viewing records, but what about the current horror box office blockbusters?
Let's review, according to the data, the horror movies that performed spooktacularly well at the box office.
The Final Destination
Otherwise known as Final Destination 4 (2009), the fourth installment in the Final Destination series brought more of the same that fans of the horror thriller had come to expect. Near misses with death and blood and gore were all present in The Final Destination, which made a stunning $187.38 million worldwide at the box office.
New Line Cinema, Final Destination 4 (2009)
Alien
When the crew of the Nostromo is woken from their cryogenic sleep, little do they know what awaits them in Alien. Released in 1979, starring Sigourney Weaver and John Hurt, Alien sees a spaceship crew battling an angry extraterrestrial lifeform, the likes of which no one had seen before in the late 1970s. The movie launched the Alien franchise and grossed $188.03 million worldwide.
Twentieth Century, Alien (1979)
Hollow Man
When a wayward scientist finds a way to make matter invisible, he decides to take his experimentation to the next level—using himself as the subject. Although successful, Sebastian Caine (Kevin Bacon) can't find a way to reverse the experiment. This rather horrifying film was a huge success, grossing $191 million worldwide.
Paranormal Activity
A unique and interesting take on ghosts and ghouls, Paranormal Activity (2007) centers on a young couple haunted by a supernatural presence in their home. They set up a camera to try and capture it, and Paranormal Activity is shown through the lens of that camera. The unique storytelling method gripped theatergoers' attention, as Paranormal Activity grossed $194.1 million worldwide.
Blumhouse Productions, Paranormal Activity (2007)
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
In the sequel to The Conjuring (2013), which saw paranormal investigative team Ed and Lorraine Warren introduced, the paranormal investigators are back after a young man accused of a brutal murder claims demonic possession. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) grossed $200.2 million worldwide as fans of the first movie flocked to see its sequel.
New Line Cinema, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
Paranormal Activity 3
The third installment in the Paranormal Activity series went back in time to 1988, recounting the childhood traumas of two young teenagers, Katie and Kristi, as their mother and stepfather hear noises in the night. Following the same hidden camera based filming method, the third installment grossed $207.3 million worldwide.
Blumhouse Productions, Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)
Sleepy Hollow
Starring Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci, Sleepy Hollow (1999) tells the tale of a young police detective from New York City (played by Depp) sent to a small town in the Midwest, where a series of murders are blamed on the mythical Headless Horseman. Sleepy Hollow is considered a spooky season classic and grossed $207.6 million worldwide.
Paramount, Sleepy Hollow (1999)
The Others
Starring Nicole Kidman, The Others (2001) tells the story of a mother who moves her family to the English coast during WWII. While trying to protect her kids from a rare photosensitivity disease, one of them claims she sees ghosts. Who are "the others"? Millions of people found out in the early 2000s, as the film grossed $207.7 million worldwide.
Cruise/Wagner Productions, The Others (2001)
Jaws 2
The sequel to one of the most popular horror movies of all time, Jaws 2 (1978) had some big shoes to fill. The thrilling return of the killer shark to Amity Island was a huge hit among fans of the 1975 classic, as Jaws 2 grossed $208.9 million worldwide.
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Based on the iconic 1897 horror novel by Bram Stoker, Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) tells the story of Count Dracula, a 15th century prince who falls in love with Mina Murray, a young woman and the fiancée of his solicitor. He begins terrorizing her friends and Abraham Van Helsing, a vampirism expert, is brought in to help stop him. Lovers of horror found everything they could wish for in Dracula, which grossed $215.8 million at the box office.
Columbia, Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
Smile
Starring Sosie Bacon and Kal Penn, Smile (2022) tells the story of psychiatrist Dr Rosie Cotter, who becomes convinced she's being stalked by a supernatural entity following a bizarre, traumatic incident with a patient. You might not be able to smile after witnessing this film. Nevertheless, it garnered huge acclaim and grossed $217 million worldwide.
Temple Hill Entertainment, Smile (2022)
Interview With The Vampire
Starring Brad Pitt as the interviewed vampire, Louis de Pointe du Lac, and Tom Cruise as the man who turned him into one, Interview With The Vampire (1994) is a chilling horror movie about one biographer's scoop of the century: an interview with a vampire. This rock-solid duo of Cruise and Pitt drew huge numbers to theaters, grossing $223 million worldwide.
Geffen Pictures, Interview With The Vampire (1994)
Annabelle Comes Home
Ed and Lorraine Warren return for the sixth installment in The Conjuring franchise and the third installment in the Annabelle spin-off series. Annabelle Comes Home (2019) tells the story of the destructive doll, hell-bent on causing havoc and the lengths Ed and Lorraine must go to to stop her. Annabelle Comes Home did spectacularly at the box office, capturing both The Conjuring die-hards and Annabelle fans to gross $230.7 million worldwide.
New Line Cinema, Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
Alien: Covenant
Alien: Covenant (2017) is a prequel to Prometheus and is the sixth installment in the Alien movie series from Ridley Scott. Following the dangerous misadventures of the Covenant colony ship to a planet inhabited by alien life forms, Alien: Covenant grossed $238.5 million worldwide.
Twentieth Century, Alien: Covenant (2017)
Resident Evil: Retribution
This 2012 movie based on the super-successful game series is the fifth installment in the franchise and features Milla Jovovich as Alice, plotting an escape from an underwater facility in the Extreme North under the guard of the Umbrella Corp. Resident Evil: Retribution grossed $240.6 million worldwide.
Constantin Film, Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)
The Ring
Starring Naomi Watts as an intrepid journalist investigating the demise of four teenagers, who all died within a week of watching a mysterious videotape, The Ring (2002) is a mystery/thriller that captured everyone's attention in the early 2000s, grossing $248.2 million worldwide.
The Blair Witch Project
This classic Halloween/horror movie always comes up when people are discussing their top 10s. The Blair Witch Project (1999) follows three film students who travel to a small town to capture paranormal activity, and tells the story through found video footage in one of the genre's classic movies. It grossed $248.3 million worldwide.
Summit, The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Get Out
This mind-bending horror thriller tells the story of a "meet the family" weekend that goes all wrong for Chris, boyfriend to Rose, who's wealthy upstate-New York family hold a dark, sinister secret. Get Out is widely viewed as one of the most chilling horror movies of the last decade and grossed $252.2 million worldwide.
Halloween
Halloween (2018) is a direct sequel to the iconic 1978 movie of the same name, seeing Jamie-Lee Curtis reprise her role as Laurie Strode, with James Jude Courtney portraying the main antagonist: Michael Myers. Following the final showdown between the two, Halloween grossed $255.4 million worldwide, and received generally positive reviews from critics.
Blumhouse Productions, Halloween (2018)
Us
Another mind-bending movie from Jordan Peele sees a young girl and her family fighting for survival against a group of home invaders—but when the masks come off, the invaders resemble each one of the family members. A truly "Wait, what?" movie that grossed $255.6 million worldwide.
Annabelle
"Annabelle" was supposed to be the perfect vintage gift for John Form's expectant wife, Mia. But when the creepiest doll you've ever seen appears, you know this movie is about to get weird. Annabelle (2014) successfully creeped everyone out, grossing $256.8 million worldwide.
New Line Cinema, Annabelle (2014)
A Quiet Place: Day One
One of the most recent releases on our list, A Quiet Place: Day One (2024) is a spin-off and prequel to the A Quiet Place movie series. Starring Lupita Nyong'o, it tells the story of how New York was invaded by blind, extraterrestrial creatures with an acute sense of hearing that requires everyone to be very, very quiet. A Quiet Place: Day One grossed $260.9 million worldwide.
Paramount, A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)
The Nun II
A sequel to the 2018 horror thriller, The Nun, The Nun II (2023) sees Tarisa Farminga reprise her role as Sister Irene, coming face to face with the demonic nun, Valak, following a grisly murder of a priest in France in 1956. The Nun II grossed $268 million worldwide.
New Line Cinema, The Nun II (2023)
The Silence Of The Lambs
One of the most iconic horror movies ever, The Silence Of The Lambs (1991) features Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling, a determined FBI agent on a murder case, who must interview Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychologist and cannibalistic serial killer, to catch her own murderer. The introduction of the iconic Hannibal Lecter and the chilling acting of Anthony Hopkins (as Hannibal) make this an absolute classic. It grossed $275.7 million worldwide.
Orion, The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Split
Starring James McAvoy and M Night Shyamalan, Split (2016) is a psychological horror that explores multiple personality disorders through the lens of horror. The chilling exploration of dissociative identity disorder made this horror movie a huge success, grossing $278 million worldwide.
Resident Evil: Afterlife
The fifth film in the Resident Evil franchise, Afterlife (2010) sees Milla Jovovich once again do battle against the Umbrella Corporation, with Los Angeles seemingly a new safe haven for her and a group of survivors—but all is not as it seems in LA. Resident Evil: Afterlife grossed $295.8 million worldwide.
Constantin Film, Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)
A Quiet Place: Part II
The sequel to the 2018 horror thriller stars real-life Hollywood power couple John Krasinski and Emily Blunt as the parents of the Abbott Family, who survived the terrifying ordeal at home and must now bring their silent fight for survival into the outside world. A Quiet Place: Part II grossed $296.5 million worldwide.
Paramount, A Quiet Place Part II (2020)
Five Nights At Freddy's
Based on a video game of the same name, Five Nights At Freddy's (2023) stars Josh Hutcherson as a security guard working at an abandoned pizzeria, who comes to discover that his late shift at Freddy's Pizza will be anything but uneventful. Five Nights At Freddy's grossed $297.1 million worldwide.
Universal, Five Nights at Freddy's (2023)
Annabelle: Creation
The prequel to Annabelle (2014) tells the story of how the doll came to be, following a tragic accident that killed a toymaker's seven-year-old girl named Annabelle. A haunting prequel that gives excellent context to the 2014 film, Annabelle: Creation (2017) grossed $305 million worldwide.
New Line Cinema, Annabelle: Creation (2017)
The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Poltergeist
Coming out of a self-imposed sabbatical to once again battle evil, Ed and Lorraine Warren travel to Enfield, London to help banish a poltergeist inhabiting the home of a single mother of four. When the youngest daughter starts to show signs of demonic possession, Ed and Lorraine know something's up. Capitalizing on the success of The Conjuring (2013), The Conjuring 2 (2016) grossed $310.1 million worldwide.
New Line Cinema, The Conjuring 2 (2016)
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
Alice returns to fight the Umbrella Corporation one last time in The Final Chapter (2016). As the T-virus has spread to every corner of the globe, Alice must go direct-to-source if she's to save the rest of humanity and defeat the Umbrella Corporation once and for all. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter grossed $314.1 million worldwide.
Constantin Film, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016)
The Conjuring
The original movie that created a franchise, The Conjuring (2013) introduced us to Ed and Lorraine Warren, a pair of parapsychologists on the case of a paranormal experience at a remote farmhouse owned by Roger and Carolyn Perron, who are convinced that their new home is haunted. The original Conjuring movie set the stage for the franchise, grossing $316.4 million worldwide.
New Line Cinema, The Conjuring (2013)
A Quiet Place
The original A Quiet Place (2018) movie saw John Krasinski and Emily Blunt team up with a novel idea for a horror movie based on silence—the Earth has been inhabited by blind murderous aliens with an acute sense of hearing, where complete silence is needed to stay alive. A Quiet Place grossed $334.8 million worldwide.
Paramount, A Quiet Place (2018)
Alien: Romulus
Another 2024 release on our list that broke records is Alien: Romulus. The seven-year wait for a sequel to Alien: Covenant left fans wanting more. Romulus sees space explorers come face to face with the deadliest alien yet, while scavenging the remains of a desolate space station. One of the most anticipated movies of the year, Alien: Romulus grossed $349 million worldwide.
Twentieth Century, Alien: Romulus (2024)
Hannibal
Born out of the craze over The Silence Of The Lambs (1991), Hannibal was released in 2001, centering on the vengeance of a victim of Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), who must seek help from now-disgraced FBI agent Clarice Starling (played by Julianne Moore). Hannibal grossed $350.1 million worldwide.
The Nun
The Nun (2018) tells the haunting tale of a novice nun and a priest sent to investigate the death of a young nun in Romania. There, they come face to face with the Devil incarnate, in the form of one of their own: a demonic nun named Valak. The Nun blew away all expectations in the late 2010s, grossing a staggering $362 million worldwide.
New Line Cinema, The Nun (2018)
The Exorcist
A top five (or top three?) contender for the greatest horror movie of all time, The Exorcist (1973) broke new ground in the genre, captivating audiences with its extremely creepy subject matter, The Exorcist is loosely based on a true story and tells the tale of a young girl whose mother believes she's possessed by demons, and asks a local priest to perform an exorcism. The Exorcist grossed $428.8 million worldwide.
Warner Bros., The Exorcist (1973)
It: Chapter Two
The second part of the two-part adaptation of Stephen King's It novel, It: Chapter Two (2019) sees the return of Pennywise The Clown and the "Losers Club", who are now adults and must band together once again to finally defeat the drain-dwelling nemesis. Piggybacking on the incredible success of It: Chapter One (2017), It: Chapter Two grossed a stunning $467.5 million worldwide.
New Line Cinema, It Chapter Two (2019)
Jaws
Maybe one of the greatest movies of all time and certainly in the top three horror movies of all time, Jaws (1975) is a classic horror flick. As a shark terrorizes the residents of a sleepy New England town, the mayor and police chief (in a battle to keep the beaches open) call in Ichthyologist Matt Hooper and ship captain, Quint, to help capture the beast. This cult classic is responsible for a shark craze in the mid to late 1970s and began a legendary franchise. At the box office? It grossed an amazing $483.6 million worldwide.
It
It (2017), otherwise known as It: Chapter One, is the first movie adaptation of the Stephen King novel, It (1986). Telling the story of Pennywise the Clown, a shape-shifting sewer-dwelling clown who terrorizes seven teenagers in Derry, Maine, over the course of one summer. The group of seven friends must face their own personal demons, while simultaneously battling Pennywise in one of the greatest Halloween movies ever made.
This now infamous horror movie grossed an astounding $701 million worldwide, breaking box office records left and right.
Virus Doesn't Go Viral In 1999
You might think that a movie starring horror legends like Jamie-Lee Curtis and Donald Sutherland might perform well at the box office. But Virus (1999) did not—costing more than $75 million to make, Virus was only able to cobble together some $30 million from the box office—a staggering loss of $45 million. Roger Ebert hated it more than almost anything else he'd ever reviewed and Jamie-Lee Curtis called it "so bad that it's shocking"—along with a few other unprintable words.