Top 10 Highest Grossing Horror Movies of all Time | ScreenRant – Screen Rant

The horror genre of cinema boasts lesser impressive box office records than other genres such as action blockbusters. Enjoyed by millions around the world, horror films might not have the highest box office earnings, but they remain an exigent andimperative part of current pop culture andiconography. Ranging from cult classics like Stanley Kubrick'sThe Shiningto modern hits like James Wan'sThe Conjuring,horror flicks are an integral part of the viewing experience of the average moviegoer.

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In cinematic history, many horror films have performed a thousand times better at the box office than expected, while in the same manner many have failed to live up to their expectations. Here are the ten highest-grossing horror films of all time.

The eleventh installment in the Halloween franchise, the 2018 film retconned all the previous films in the series and acted as a direct sequel to the original Halloween directed by John Carpenter and released in 1978. Following the original movie, the 2018 film, withJoedirectorDavid Gordon Green at the helm, was a breath of fresh air for fans worldwide. Not only was it praised and well received by critics and audience, but the film's box office performance also made it the highest-grossing entry in the franchise.

The second film inThe Conjuringseries and a prequel to the original Conjuring,the film acts as a spin-off and tells the story of the origin of the doll Annabelle which was featured in the Conjuring movie. The portrayal of the doll in the Conjuring movie was well received by the general public, which lead to the creation of this spin-off film. The film was a box office success, bringing in$257 million against a fairly small budget of$6.5million.

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Seeing the success of theAnnabelle movie, a prequel, and a sequel as well was also released.

Considering the smashing success of 2014'sAnnabelle,it was a no brainer that a sequel would be made (or in this case, a prequel).Annabelle Creationacts as a prequel toAnnabelle,featuring the story of how the titular doll was created in the first place. Not only was it a much bigger critical success than the originalAnnabelle, but the box office performance was alsooutstanding as well. The director of the previous film,John R. Leonetti was replaced byLights OutandShazam! directorDavid Sandberg, with the original writerGary Dauberman returning once again to write the screenplay.

WithAquamanandInsidiousdirectorJames Wan at the helm,The Conjuringwas the first film in what would turn out tobe the most financially successful horror film franchise of the current cinematic age. The film was met with praise by critics and audience's alike upon release, with the performance of the actors and the atmosphere of the film being praised exceptionally well. The dollAnnabelle which was the focal point of the plot proved to be so popular with the fans that a separate trilogy series was made revolving around the doll only.

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The film remains the most highly rated movie in The Conjuring Universe, with an 85% Rotten Tomatoes rating.

The sequel to 2013'sThe Conjuring,Conjuring 2accomplishes everything that is expected out of acontinuation. The film boasts a slightly lower rating than its predecessor, sitting at 80%, but managed to pull off a slightly better box office run. Previous director James Wan returned not only to direct but even contributed as a screenwriter, along with the previous cast members who reprised their roles. The film turned out to be quite a profitable venture, grossing over$320.4 million worldwide against its budget of $40 million, and a sequel and the third installment in the main franchise is said to be in the works.

2018 saw the directorial debut ofThe Officesuperstar John Krasinski, with the release ofA Quiet Place.The film was an unexpected success, and the fresh idea was instantly met with huge praise by critics and fans in a market where horror films had becomeformulaic andmundane. The film stars directorJohn Krasinski in the lead role alongside his real-life wife Emily Blunt, as they try to make their way in a world infested with creatures that have exterminated most of humanity.

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The film was a smashing box office success, amassing over $340 million against a budget of $21 million.

Yet another film related to the successfulConjuringfranchise,The Nunremains the highest-grossing film in theConjuringUniverseline-up of movies. Although critic and audience response was poor, sitting at a measly rating of 26% on Rotten Tomatoes, the box office figures of the film were similarly staggering, with a worldwide gross of over $360 million dollars with a budget of only $22 million. Branching off fromConjuring 2,thefifth installment in The Conjuring Universe franchise was directed byThe HallowdirectorCorin Hardy from a story written by James Wan andGary Dauberman.

One of the most classic horror movies of all time,The Exorcistis not only one of the scariest or best-rated horror flicks in cinema history either, but it remains one of the highest-grossing films as well. When released back in 1973, the film proved to be so extreme that many people suffered negative physical reactions in the theaters when watching. It was thefirst horror film to be nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Picture.

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The film grossed over $440 million dollars at the box office against a budget of only $12 million, making it anundisputed box office success.

The second and also the last entry in theItfilm series,It Chapter Twotakes place 27 years after the events of the first film. Although nearly not as successful as its predecessor, the fact still remains that the film is the second highest-grossing horror film to date. Directed byMamadirectorAndrs Muschietti, the film features a highly talented cast of the likes of James McAvoy,Bill Hader andBill Skarsgrd in the role of the iconicPennywise the Dancing Clown.

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The film made an outstanding$473 million against a budget of,$79 million, which proved that producing a sequel to the original film was indeed worth its "penny".

The highest-grossing horror movie of all time,It,based on best selling author Stephen King's book of the same name, is also one of the most iconic horror films of the century. The plot, revolving around the story of seven children in the 1980s whoare terrorized by a supernatural being,Pennywise the Dancing Clown. With fan-favoriteStranger ThingsactorFinn Wolfhard in the cast, the film was praised by critics on release for its marvelous acting and cinematography. As Stephen King's book adaptations tend to do, the film had a smashing performance at the box office, garnering over $700 million against a comparatively tiny budget of$35 million.

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Mahir Wasif is a college student with an ever growing passion and interest for all things entertainment related such as movies, tv shows and video games. Although ScreenRant is his first time writing for a professional medium, he is hopeful that the time and effort he invests here will prove to be beneficial for all the parties involved, the readers and he himself.Always having had a natural knack for internet gossip and news, Mahir now spends his time better by sharing his skills and knowledge with a wider audience.

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Top 10 Highest Grossing Horror Movies of all Time | ScreenRant - Screen Rant

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