The 90s had some memorable horror releases. Here's what Box Office Mojo says were the decade's highest grossing.
The 90s were a different time for horror. Unlike other decades, the 90s doesn't really have a defined identity. The 80s are notable for slashers. The 2000s saw the release of Saw and its myriad sequels. And the 2010s are known for two things - A24 horror and franchises like The Conjuring.
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But what type of horror defined the 90s?To judge and gauge the popular subgenres, one only needs to look at Box Office Mojo to see what dominated the decade. Some of these movies are well remembered, and some have faded with time.
These are ten of the highest-grossing horror films of the 90s, according to Box Office Mojo.
The Haunting is a very loose adaptation of Shirley Jackson's novel of the same name. Released in July 1999, The Haunting received horrible reviews from critics and even secured five Razzie nominations, including Worst Picture. However, the movie performed exceptionally well, opening to $33 million and eventually grossing $177 million worldwide. However, it also had a high budget at $80 million, making this less a success than it sounds.
Cape Fear is one of the most beloved horror films of the 90s. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the movie scored two Academy Award nominations for acting - Best Actor for Robert De Niro and Best Supporting Actress for Juliette Lewis. The movie opened on November 15, 1991 and scored $10 million in its opening weekend before grossing $182 million worldwide. Adjusting for inflation, that's roughly $350 million today.
The X-Files was unbelievably big throughout the '90s, as evident by the movie's spectacular showing. Serving as the first film in the series, the story took place between seasons five and six of the beloved TV show. It opened to a solid $30 millionin the weekend of June 19-21, 1998, beating out Mulan for the top spot. The X-Files ended up grossing $83 million domestically and $105 million internationally for a total of $189 million worldwide.
Sleepy Hollow is one of those horror films that have slowly faded away with time. But this movie was quite big at the time.
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Winning the Academy Award for Best Art Direction, Sleepy Hollow opened wide on November 19, 1999, just barely squeaking into the decade. The movie opened at number two with $30 million, just barely being beaten by The World Is Not Enough. It went to gross $206 million at the worldwide box office.
Francis Ford Coppola may have made the definitive Dracula movie in 1992 with Bram Stoker's Dracula. Made for $40 million and starring a packed cast, the movie opened to good reviews and even scored itself three Academy Awards. The movie opened to $30.5 million the weekend of November 13-15, 1992, beating out Passenger 57 in its second weekend for the top spot. The movie grossed $215 million worldwide - about $400 million today!
Vampires were hot business in the early '90s thanks to Bram Stoker's Dracula, and Warner Bros. looked to get a piece with Interview with the Vampire. It worked. The movie opened to $36.3 million the weekend of November 11-13, 1994, beating out The Santa Clause in its opening weekend for the top spot. The movie grossed $105 million domestically (tenth for the year) and $223 million worldwide.
The Blair Witch Project remains one of the most divisive horror films ever made, but there's no denying its significant impact on the genre.
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This was unlike anything seen at the time, and it opened to just $1.5 million from 27 theaters the weekend of July 16-18. Strong word of mouth helped it reach 1,000 theaters by July 30, and it opened in 2,142 theaters the following weekend, where it grossed $24.3 million. It eventually broke $248 million worldwide, making it one of the most profitable horror films ever made.
The Silence of the Lambs is more than a psychological horror movie. It's rightfully regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made, and it remains the latest movie to win the Big FiveAcademy Awards(Picture, Writing, Directing, Actor, Actress). Opening over Presidents' Day Weekend 1991, the movie grossed $13.7 million, beating out other openers Sleeping with the Enemy and King Ralph. The film ended up grossing $272 million worldwide - over $500 million today.
The Mummy is certainly cheesy, but everyone enjoys a little cheese every now and then. The movie scored a very solid $43.3 million in its opening weekend of May 7-9, 1999, beating out Entrapment in its second weekend and The Matrix in its sixth. The movie remained in the top five for seven consecutive weeks, accumulating in a $155 million domestic gross and $415.9 million worldwide. No one could have predicted its success.
The Sixth Sense toes the line between dramatic thriller and horror, but one thing is for sure - this movie was the surprise hit to end all surprise hits. The movie opened to a modest $26.6 million the weekend of August 6-8, beating out The Blair Witch Project in its fourth weekend. However, strong word of mouth kept it at number one for six straight weeks, and it spent seventeen consecutive weeks in the top ten. It was finally pushed out the weekend of November 19-21. The fall of 1999 belonged to The Sixth Sense, and it grossed an astounding $672 million worldwide.
NEXT:Top 10 Highest Grossing Horror Movies of all Time
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