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Express Tribune
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Why horror is slaying box office
The Substance grossed over USD77 million globally, with 80 per cent from outside US. Photos: File Vampires, zombies and the Grim Reaper are killing it at the box office. At a time when superheroes, sequels and reboots have grown stale among audiences, horror has emerged as an unlikely saviour, entertainment industry veterans say. This year, scary films account for 17 per cent of the North American ticket purchases, up from 11 per cent in 2024 and 4 per cent a decade ago, according to Comscore data compiled exclusively for Reuters. Thanks to the box office performance of Sinners and Final Destination: Bloodlines, and new installments of popular horror films hitting later this year, including The Conjuring: Last Rites and Five Nights at Freddy's 2, cinema owners have reason to celebrate. "We have identified horror as really one of the primary film genres that we are targeting to grow," said Brandt Gully, owner of the Springs Cinema & Taphouse in Sandy Springs, Georgia. "It can really fill a void when you need it." Producers, studio executives and theatre owners say horror has historically provided a safe outlet to cope with contemporary anxieties. And there is no lack of material to choose from: the aftershocks of a global pandemic, artificial intelligence paranoia, the loss of control over one's body, and resurgent racism. "It's cathartic, it's emotional, and it comes with an ending," said film data analyst Stephen Follows, author of the Horror Movie Report, which offers detailed insights into the genre. "Horror movies give space to process things that are harder to face in everyday life." The often low-budget productions allow for greater risk-taking than would be possible with high-cost, high-stakes productions like Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. The creative freedom has attracted such acclaimed directors as Ryan Coogler, Jordan Peele, Danny Boyle and Guillermo del Toro. "Horror movies are an accountant's dream," said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore senior media analyst. "If you're going to make a science-fiction outer-space extravaganza, you can't do that on the cheap. With horror films, a modest-budget movie like Weapons can be scary as hell." Audiences are responding. Coogler's Sinners, an original story about Mississippi vampires starring Michael B Jordan, was the year's third highest-grossing film in the US and Canada, according to Comscore. Movie theatres are still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic which broke the movie-going habit, and increased viewing in the home. Mike De Luca, co-chair and Warner Bros Motion Picture Group, which released Sinners, said horror was a genre that manages to get people out of the house. "It's a rising tide that lifts all boats," he said. "You know, we're trying to get people back in the habit of going to the theatres." Fear knows no geographical bounds. Half of all horror movies released by major US distributors last year made 50 per cent or more of their worldwide box office gross outside the US, according to London-based researcher Ampere Analysis. The breakout international hit The Substance, for example, grossed over USD77 million worldwide – with around 80 per cent of that from outside the US. Streamers also are similarly capitalising on the appeal of the genre. AMC's post-apocalyptic horror drama series The Walking Dead, became one of the most popular series when it was added to Netflix in 2023, amassing 1.3 billion hours viewed, according to Netflix's Engagement Report. Director Guillermo del Toro's film adaptation of Mary Shelley's gothic novel, Frankenstein, is set to debut in November. Date night Horror films are ideally suited to watching in movie theatres, where the environment heightens the experience. "What you can't do at home is sit in a dark room with a hundred other people, not on your phone, and jump," said Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum, producer of Halloween, Paranormal Activity and other lucrative horror franchises. "You can't really be scared when you watch a horror movie at home." Big-budget movies that the industry refers to as "tent poles," such as Captain America: Brave New World or A Minecraft Movie, remain the lifeblood of movie theatres. Over time, these blockbusters have elbowed out more moderately budgeted romantic comedies and dramas on movie screens. Against this backdrop, horror has been quietly gaining momentum. The genre broke the USD1 billion box office barrier in the US and Canada for the first time in 2017, Comscore reported, buoyed by the film adaptation of Stephen King's novel, It, and Jordan Peele's exploration of racial inequality in Get Out. Announcements of new horror films from US producers have risen each year for the last three years, including in 2023, when the Hollywood strikes significantly impacted production, according to Ampere Analysis. The number of US horror films that went into production last year was up 21 per cent over 2023, Ampere found. "While more arthouse fare and even some tentpole superhero franchises have had mixed fortunes at the global box office in the wake of the pandemic, horror remains one of the key genres that audiences still make a point of seeing in the theatres," wrote researcher Alice Thorpe in a report for Ampere's clients which she shared with Reuters. The researcher's own consumer surveys revealed horror is the favorite genre among two-thirds of film-goers, ages 18 to 24. "Anytime a teenager graduates to wanting to take a date to the movies, horror gets popular really fast," said Warner Bros' De Luca. "It's a great film-going experience to take a date to because you get to huddle with each other and gasp and hoop and holler." Freak show Horror has been a cinematic staple from its earliest days, when Thomas Edison filmed Frankenstein on his motion picture camera, the Kinetograph, in 1910. The British Board of Film Classification introduced the "H" rating in 1932, officially designating the genre. But it didn't always get Hollywood's respect. "In the first half of the 20th century, it was seen as a freak-show," said Follows. Perceptions began to change with the critical and commercial success of films like Psycho, The Exorcist and The Shining. Director Steven Spielberg ushered in the summer blockbuster in 1975 with Jaws, a re-invention of the classic monster film. In recent years, horror films have become part of the Oscar conversation. Peele collected an Academy Award for best original screenplay in 2018 for Get Out. Demi Moore received her first Oscar nomination earlier this year for her portrayal of an ageing Hollywood star who will go to any lengths to stay beautiful in The Substance. Not every horror film connects with audiences. M3GAN 2.0, a sequel to the 2022 low-budget film about a killer robotic doll that grossed USD180 million worldwide, brought in a modest USD10.2 million in the US and Canada in its opening weekend, according to Comscore.
South China Morning Post
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Killing it at the box office, horror movies become unlikely cinema saviours
Vampires, zombies and the Grim Reaper are killing it at the box office. Advertisement At a time when superheroes, sequels and reboots have grown stale among audiences, horror has emerged as an unlikely saviour, entertainment industry veterans say. This year, scary movies account for 17 per cent of North American ticket purchases, up from 11 per cent in 2024 and 4 per cent a decade ago, according to US-based data analytics firm Comscore. Thanks to the box office performance of Sinners and Final Destination: Bloodlines , and new instalments of popular horror films hitting later this year – including The Conjuring: Last Rites and Five Nights at Freddy's 2 – cinema owners have reason to celebrate. 'We have identified horror as really one of the primary film genres that we are targeting to grow,' says Brandt Gully, owner of the Springs Cinema & Taphouse in Sandy Springs, in the US state of Georgia. 'It can really fill a void when you need it.' Attendees watch a special screening of Sinners in Clarksdale, in the US state of Mississippi, where the film is set, on May 29, 2025. Photo: Reuters Producers, studio executives and cinema owners say horror has historically provided a safe outlet to cope with contemporary anxieties. And there is no lack of material to choose from: the aftershocks of a global pandemic, artificial intelligence paranoia, the loss of control over one's body, and resurgent racism.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Horror hooks movie-goers, injecting cinemas with fresh energy
STORY: Move over Superman, there's a new hero at the box office. Horror movies. Murderous toys, vampires and zombies are killing it in movie theaters, at a time when saviors, sequels and reboots have grown stale among audiences – entertainment industry veterans say. Jason Blum is a producer. 'What you can't do at home is sit in a dark room with a hundred other people, not on your phone, and jump. I think horror movies have really become an experience that can only be really felt outside the home in a movie theater.' This year, 17 percent of tickets bought in North America have been for scary movies. That figure was 11 percent in 2024, and 4 percent a decade ago, Comscore data compiled exclusively for Reuters shows. Cinema owners have plenty of reasons to celebrate with box office performances like 'Sinners' and 'Final Destination: Bloodlines'. And there are new instalments of popular horror franchises coming soon like 'The Conjuring: Last Rites.' 'One of the knocks on Hollywood and movies that we rely upon is that they just lack creativity. People are just trying the same old formulas that maybe worked five years ago but not necessarily working now. And I feel like today it's these horror directors that are really some of the most creative minds out there and they're taking chances that others aren't.' Brandt Gully owns a cinema in Sandy Springs, Georgia. 'The horror customers, at least ours, tend to go to the movies more often than others. And I think it's because they're not as dependent on word of mouth or they don't need to know it's an Academy Award-winning potential hit before they commit to, you know, dropping money to go see it, they just are excited that there's a new, creative horror movie out there and they wanna come see it.' Producers, studio execs and theater owners say horror has historically provided a safe outlet for people to cope with contemporary anxieties. And let's face it - there is no lack of material to choose from: the aftershocks of a global pandemic, paranoia over AI and resurgent racism. The productions are often low-budget, and allow greater risk-taking than higher-cost, higher-stakes films. That creative freedom has attracted big name directors like Guillermo del Toro and Danny Boyle. And audiences are responding. Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners' is this year's third highest-grossing movie in the U.S. and Canada, Comscore says. Horror has been a cinematic staple from its earliest days, when Thomas Edison filmed 'Frankenstein' on his motion picture camera in 1910. But it didn't always get Hollywood's respect. Perceptions began to change with the critical and commercial success of films like 'Psycho,' 'The Exorcist' and 'The Shining.' The genre broke the $1 billion box office barrier in the U.S. and Canada for the first time in 2017. The film adaptation of Stephen King's novel, 'It,' and Jordan Peele's 'Get Out' were big contributors. Fast forward to 2024 – and the number of U.S. horror films that went into production was up 21 percent from the year before, researcher Ampere Analysis found. And scary movies have been scooping up statues at the biggest awards ceremonies recently. Movie theaters are still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, which sped up a shift towards watching at home over going out to the movies. But many industry professionals say horror is a genre that manages to get people off their couch and into a theater where the environment heightens the experience. 'Now I think more than ever, to get people here in theaters, people want a good story. They love, you know, things like 'Barbie', where they know what's gonna happen. But for the most part, people want really good stories that engage them. And it feels like that's the genre where we're getting the most of that from.'
Business Times
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Times
Studios bet on horror films to reanimate cinemas
[LOS ANGELES] Vampires, zombies and the Grim Reaper are killing it at the box office. At a time when superheroes, sequels and reboots have grown stale among audiences, horror has emerged as an unlikely saviour, entertainment industry veterans say. This year, scary movies account for 17 per cent of the North American ticket purchases, up from 11 per cent in 2024 and 4 per cent a decade ago, according to Comscore data compiled exclusively for Reuters. Thanks to the box office performance of Sinners and Final Destination: Bloodlines, and new instalments of popular horror films hitting later this year, including The Conjuring: Last Rites and Five Nights at Freddy's 2, cinema owners have reason to celebrate. 'We have identified horror as really one of the primary film genres that we are targeting to grow,' said Brandt Gully, owner of the Springs Cinema & Taphouse in Sandy Springs, Georgia. 'It can really fill a void when you need it.' Producers, studio executives and theatre owners say horror has historically provided a safe outlet to cope with contemporary anxieties. And there is no lack of material to choose from: the aftershocks of a global pandemic, artificial intelligence paranoia, the loss of control over one's body, and resurgent racism. 'It's cathartic, it's emotional, and it comes with an ending,' said film data analyst Stephen Follows, author of the Horror Movie Report, which offers detailed insights into the genre. 'Horror movies give space to process things that are harder to face in everyday life.' The often low-budget productions allow for greater risk-taking than would be possible with high-cost, high-stakes productions such as Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. The creative freedom has attracted such acclaimed directors as Ryan Coogler, Jordan Peele, Danny Boyle and Guillermo del Toro. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up 'Horror movies are an accountant's dream,' said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore senior media analyst. 'If you're going to make a science-fiction outer-space extravaganza, you can't do that on the cheap. With horror films, a modest-budget movie like Weapons can be scary as hell.' Audiences are responding. Coogler's 'Sinners,' an original story about Mississippi vampires starring Michael B Jordan,was theyear's third highest-grossing movie in the US and Canada, according to Comscore. Movie theatres are still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic which broke the movie-going habit, and increased viewing in the home. Mike De Luca, co-chair and Warner Bros Motion Picture Group, which released Sinners, said horror was a genre that manages to get people out of the house. 'It's a rising tide that lifts all boats,' he said. 'You know, we're trying to get people back in the habit of going to the theatres.' Fear knows no geographical bounds. Half of all horror movies released by major US distributors last year made 50 per cent or more of their worldwide box office gross outside the US, according to London-based researcher Ampere Analysis. The breakout international hit The Substance, for example, grossed over US$77 million worldwide – with around 80 per cent of that from outside the US. Streamers also are similarly capitalising on the appeal of the genre. AMC's post-apocalyptic horror drama series The Walking Dead, became one of the most popular series when it was added to Netflix in 2023, amassing 1.3 billion hours viewed, according to Netflix's Engagement Report. Director Guillermo del Toro's film adaptation of Mary Shelley's gothic novel, Frankenstein, is set to debut in November. Date night Horror films are ideally suited to watching in movie theatres, where the environment heightens the experience. 'What you can't do at home is sit in a dark room with a hundred other people, not on your phone, and jump,' said Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum, producer of Halloween, Paranormal Activity and other lucrative horror franchises. 'You can't really be scared when you watch a horror movie at home.' Big-budget movies that the industry refers to as 'tent poles', such as Captain America: Brave New World or A Minecraft Movie, remain the lifeblood of movie theatres. Over time, these blockbusters have elbowed out more moderately budgeted romantic comedies and dramas on movie screens. Against this backdrop, horror has been quietly gaining momentum. Announcements of new horror films from US producers have risen each year for the last three years, including in 2023, when the Hollywood strikes significantly impacted production, according to Ampere Analysis. The number of US horror films that went into production last year was up 21 per cent over 2023, Ampere found. 'While more arthouse fare and even some 'tent pole' superhero franchises have had mixed fortunes at the global box office in the wake of the pandemic, horror remains one of the key genres that audiences still make a point of seeing in the theatres,' wrote researcher Alice Thorpe in a report for Ampere's clients which she shared with Reuters. The researcher's own consumer surveys revealed horror is the favourite genre among two-thirds of movie-goers, ages 18 to 24. 'Anytime a teenager graduates to wanting to take a date to the movies, horror gets popular really fast,' said Warner Bros' De Luca. 'It's a great film-going experience to take a date to because you get to huddle with each other and gasp and hoop and holler.' Freak show Horror has been a cinematic staple from its earliest days, when Thomas Edison filmed Frankenstein on his motion picture camera, the Kinetograph, in 1910. The British Board of Film Classification introduced the 'H' rating in 1932, officially designating the genre. But it didn't always get Hollywood's respect. 'In the first half of the 20th century, it was seen as a freak-show,' said Follows. Perceptions began to change with the critical and commercial success of films like Psycho, The Exorcist and The Shining. Director Steven Spielberg ushered in the summer blockbuster in 1975 with Jaws, a re-invention of the classic monster movie. In recent years, horror movies have become part of the Oscar conversation. Peele collected an Academy Award for best original screenplay in 2018 for Get Out. Demi Moore received her first Oscar nomination earlier this year for her portrayal of an ageing Hollywood star who will go to any lengths to stay beautiful in The Substance. Not every horror movie connects with audiences. M3GAN 2.0, a sequel to the 2022 low-budget film about a killer robotic doll that grossed US$180 million worldwide, brought in a modest US$10.2 million in the US and Canada in its opening weekend, according to Comscore. Theatre chains will have no shortage of horror movies to exhibit this summer. Seven films are slated to be released before Labor Day weekend, including Columbia Pictures's nostalgic reboot of the 1997 film, I Know What You Did Last Summer, which reaches screens on July 18, and Weapons, which opens on Aug 8. 'The best types of these movies are ones that elicit an audible and visceral reaction … 'Don't go in there!'' said Screen Gems president Ashley Brucks, who has worked on such films as Sony's upcoming I Know What You Did Last Summer as well as A Quiet Place and Scream. 'You are either squirming or laughing or screaming and just really having fun with it.' REUTERS
Business Recorder
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Recorder
Studios bet on horror movies to reanimate cinemas
LOS ANGELES: Vampires, zombies and the Grim Reaper are killing it at the box a time when superheroes, sequels and reboots have grown stale among audiences, horror has emerged as an unlikely savior, entertainment industry veterans say. This year, scary movies account for 17 percent of the North American ticket purchases, up from 11 percent in 2024 and 4 percent a decade ago, according to Comscore data compiled exclusively for Reuters. Thanks to the box office performance of 'Sinners' and 'Final Destination: Bloodlines,' and new installments of popular horror films hitting later this year, including 'The Conjuring: Last Rites' and 'Five Nights at Freddy's 2,' cinema owners have reason to celebrate. 'We have identified horror as really one of the primary film genres that we are targeting to grow,' said Brandt Gully, owner of the Springs Cinema & Taphouse in Sandy Springs, Georgia. 'It can really fill a void when you need it.' Producers, studio executives and theater owners say horror has historically provided a safe outlet to cope with contemporary anxieties. And there is no lack of material to choose from: the aftershocks of a global pandemic, artificial intelligence paranoia, the loss of control over one's body, and resurgent racism. 'It's cathartic, it's emotional, and it comes with an ending,' said film data analyst Stephen Follows, author of the Horror Movie Report, which offers detailed insights into the genre. 'Horror movies give space to process things that are harder to face in everyday life.' The often low-budget productions allow for greater risk-taking than would be possible with high-cost, high-stakes productions like 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.' The creative freedom has attracted such acclaimed directors as Ryan Coogler, Jordan Peele, Danny Boyle and Guillermo del Toro. 'Horror movies are an accountant's dream,' said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore senior media analyst. 'If you're going to make a science-fiction outer-space extravaganza, you can't do that on the cheap. With horror films, a modest-budget movie like 'Weapons' can be scary as hell.' Audiences are responding. Coogler's 'Sinners,' an original story about Mississippi vampires starring Michael B. Jordan, was the year's third highest-grossing movie in the U.S. and Canada, according to Comscore. Movie theaters are still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic which broke the movie-going habit, and increased viewing in the home. Mike De Luca, co-chair and Warner Bros Motion Picture Group (WBD.O), opens new tab, which released 'Sinners,' said horror was a genre that manages to get people out of the house. 'It's a rising tide that lifts all boats,' he said. 'You know, we're trying to get people back in the habit of going to the theaters.' Fear knows no geographical bounds. Half of all horror movies released by major U.S. distributors last year made 50 percent or more of their worldwide box office gross outside the U.S., according to London-based researcher Ampere Analysis. The breakout international hit 'The Substance,' for example, grossed over $77 million worldwide – with around 80% of that from outside the U.S. Streamers also are similarly capitalizing on the appeal of the genre. AMC's post-apocalyptic horror drama series 'The Walking Dead,' became one of the most popular series when it was added to Netflix in 2023, amassing 1.3 billion hours viewed, according to Netflix's Engagement Report. Director Guillermo del Toro's film adaptation of Mary Shelley's gothic novel, 'Frankenstein,' is set to debut in November. Date night Horror films are ideally suited to watching in movie theaters, where the environment heightens the experience. 'What you can't do at home is sit in a dark room with a hundred other people, not on your phone, and jump,' said Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum, producer of 'Halloween,' 'Paranormal Activity' and other lucrative horror franchises. 'You can't really be scared when you watch a horror movie at home.' Big-budget movies that the industry refers to as 'tent poles,' such as 'Captain America: Brave New World' or 'A Minecraft Movie,' remain the lifeblood of movie theaters. Over time, these blockbusters have elbowed out more moderately budgeted romantic comedies and dramas on movie screens. Against this backdrop, horror has been quietly gaining momentum. 'Superman' returns to screens with 'kindness, flying dogs and space battles' The genre broke the $1 billion box office barrier in the U.S. and Canada for the first time in 2017, Comscore reported, buoyed by the film adaptation of Stephen King's novel, 'It,' and Jordan Peele's exploration of racial inequality in 'Get Out.' Announcements of new horror films from U.S. producers have risen each year for the last three years, including in 2023, when the Hollywood strikes significantly impacted production, according to Ampere Analysis. The number of U.S. horror films that went into production last year was up 21 percent over 2023, Ampere found. 'While more arthouse fare and even some tentpole superhero franchises have had mixed fortunes at the global box office in the wake of the pandemic, horror remains one of the key genres that audiences still make a point of seeing in the theatres,' wrote researcher Alice Thorpe in a report for Ampere's clients which she shared with Reuters. The researcher's own consumer surveys revealed horror is the favorite genre among two-thirds of movie-goers, ages 18 to 24. 'Anytime a teenager graduates to wanting to take a date to the movies, horror gets popular really fast,' said Warner Bros' De Luca. 'It's a great film-going experience to take a date to because you get to huddle with each other and gasp and hoop and holler.' FREAK SHOW Horror has been a cinematic staple from its earliest days, when Thomas Edison filmed 'Frankenstein' on his motion picture camera, the Kinetograph, in 1910. The British Board of Film Classification introduced the 'H' rating in 1932, officially designating the genre. But it didn't always get Hollywood's respect. 'In the first half of the 20th century, it was seen as a freak-show,' said Follows. Perceptions began to change with the critical and commercial success of films like 'Psycho,' 'The Exorcist' and 'The Shining.' Director Steven Spielberg ushered in the summer blockbuster in 1975 with 'Jaws,' a re-invention of the classic monster movie. In recent years, horror movies have become part of the Oscar conversation. Peele collected an Academy Award for best original screenplay in 2018 for 'Get Out.' Demi Moore received her first Oscar nomination earlier this year for her portrayal of an aging Hollywood star who will go to any lengths to stay beautiful in 'The Substance.' Not every horror movie connects with audiences. 'M3GAN 2.0,' a sequel to the 2022 low-budget film about a killer robotic doll that grossed $180 million worldwide, brought in a modest $10.2 million in the U.S. and Canada in its opening weekend, according to Comscore. Theater chains will have no shortage of horror movies to exhibit this summer. Seven films are slated to be released before Labor Day weekend, including Columbia Pictures's nostalgic reboot of the 1997 film, 'I Know What You Did Last Summer,' which reaches screens on July 18, and 'Weapons,' which opens on Aug. 8. 'The best types of these movies are ones that elicit an audible and visceral reaction … 'Don't go in there!'' said Screen Gems President Ashley Brucks, who has worked on such films as Sony's upcoming 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' as well as 'A Quiet Place' and 'Scream.' 'You are either squirming or laughing or screaming and just really having fun with it.'
