Related
Horror does n’t generally make Marvel money , but there have still been some very profitable fright flicks , with the most successful being surprising . Most are probably cognisant by now that 2017’sIT , an adaptation of Stephen King ’s classic novel of the same name , is thehighest - grossing horror movie ever , at least when not adjusted for pompousness . The film drag in over $ 700 million at the worldwide box government agency , screaming by previous disk holderThe Sixth Senselike Pennywise in Bill Denborough ’s basement .
There ’s also all - time horror classics that most moving picture buffs are aware made tons of money , particularly when adjusted for inflation , but even without doing so . These includeThe exorciser , Jaws , Halloween , Alien , andThe Silence of the Lambs , just to name a few . Then there ’s surprise success stories likeWorld War Z , which stands as the highest - grossing zombie movie ever , despite being far from the league of darling hits likeShaun of the Dead , Dawn of the Dead , andZombieland .
relate : IT : Every Box Office Record Broken by the Stephen King Movie
However , as could probably be pretend from the title of this slice , none of the films previously mentioned are really the most profitable horror movie of all time . When considering that , one has to weigh in not just size of gross , but the budget it be to get there . For those about to bring upThe Blair Witch Project , no that ’s not it either , although that ’s a closelipped guess .
The Most Profitable Horror Movie Isn’t What You Think
Despite gross $ 248.6 million worldwide on a reported budget of only $ 60,000,The Blair Witch Project , no longer concord the title of most profitable horror movie . It was usurped for that tip in 2009 by fellow found footage hitParanormal Activity . Oren Peli ’s demonic panic - fest was shoot for a mere $ 15,000 , and went on to gross $ 193.4 million worldwide . It also spawned a franchise that ’s earned virtually $ 900 million total , which stands in barren line toBlair Witch ’s sequel , which both flopped .
Even after the cost ofre - shootingParanormal Activity ’s conclusion , and the overweight viral marketing costs for both films , Paranormal Activitystill comes out on top in pure net profit . Paranormal Activityis exactly what any studio hopes for when they hustle a cheaply made cinema festival darling out of obscurity , and release it broad . While movies likeITandThe Exorcisthave made huge cant , they also costs millions to raise , whileParanormal Activitywas literally profitable after its first day in theaters . One wonders if another cheap indie repulsion will eventually come in along to knock it off its perch .
More : Every Paranormal Activity Movie Ranked , Worst To Best