LOS ANGELES, CA – Horror movie franchises have been scaring and thrilling audiences for decades. But which ones have managed to gross over $1 billion at the box office? Only five horror franchises have accomplished this incredible milestone. Can you guess which ones?
Franchises like “The Purge,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Final Destination,” “The Exorcist,” “Insidious,” and “Halloween” are some of the biggest in the genre’s history, but even they have not been able to break the billion-dollar mark. Other notable franchises, such as “Paranormal Activity” and “Scream,” have come close but have not crossed that threshold yet.
So, which horror franchises have surpassed $1 billion? Coming in at number five is the “Saw” franchise, with ten films and an eleventh on the way. The release of “Saw X” last year pushed the franchise over the billion-dollar mark, with a worldwide box office total of $1,128,720,386. Interestingly, “Saw III” holds the record for the highest-grossing movie in the series.
Taking the number four spot is the adaptation of Stephen King’s novel “IT.” The two-part film collectively earned $1,173,474,976 at the global box office, with the first installment alone bringing in $701 million.
In second place is the “Resident Evil” franchise, which has grossed $1,237,686,980 to date. This includes both live-action and animated movies, with actress Milla Jovovich leading the way in six of the films.
But the reigning champion of the highest-grossing horror franchises of all time is none other than “The Conjuring Universe.” Created by James Wan, this universe of interconnected films has a total of eight movies and has raked in an astounding $2,402,537,783 worldwide. The highest-grossing film in the franchise is “The Nun,” which made $365 million.
Below is a list of the top 20 highest-grossing horror franchises of all time:
1) The Conjuring Universe
2) Alien
3) Resident Evil
4) IT
5) Saw
6) Hannibal
7) Dracula
8) Scream
9) Scary Movie
10) Paranormal Activity
11) Halloween
12) Predator
13) Insidious
14) The Exorcist
15) Final Destination
16) The Ring
17) A Quiet Place
18) I Am Legend
19) A Nightmare on Elm Street
20) The Purge
It’s worth mentioning that Legendary’s Monsterverse, including films like “Godzilla” and “Kong: Skull Island,” has crossed the $1 billion mark in just four movies. Additionally, franchises like “Twilight,” “Terminator,” and “Jurassic Park” have reached billion-dollar status. However, for the purposes of this article, they are not classified as traditional horror franchises.
It’s fascinating to see the immense success these horror franchises have achieved. Whether it’s the fear of a demonic nun, the terror of an extraterrestrial creature, or the gory games of Jigsaw, these franchises continue to captivate audiences and break box office records.