Zombie movies have been a Hollywood staple for decades, and with impressive box office numbers like these, they won't be going anywhere soon.
Be it movies, games, TV shows, or virtually any other form of media entertainment, zombies are found in every nook and cranny of pop-culture.There is just something about the disturbing concept of the undead and the impossible madness of it that never fails to attract an audience. And for studios, this popularity directly translates into money which is why there's always a new zombie film on the horizon, regardless of how overusedthe trope has become at this point.
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Zombie films used to be a small niche once upon a time, but like many other genres have now inflated into films that deal in hundreds of millions of dollars. Taking everything into account, the following list ranks some of the most popular zombie movies according to how much money they made.
The sequel to 2016'sTrain to Busan on paper,Peninsula is actually a standalone film completely unrelated to the plot or characters of its predecessor. The similarities between the two films end at their titles.
While Train to Busanwas more focused on the down-to-earth family and human elements that made it special,Peninsula is a straight-up military action thriller with a zombie setting. It had nearly twice the budget ofTrain to Busan but didn't manage to gross even half ofwhat it had.
Making a good sequel is a tough job, to please the fans is even tougher. The sequel to the cult-classic28 Days Later,28 Weeks Later is by no means a bad film, but according to the general consensus, it nearly doesn't hit the marks that its predecessor did. The difference in ratings between the two on sites such as IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes reflects this.
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Juan Carlos Fresnadillo replaced the original directorDanny Boyle, and the film was written by a different creative team as well,taking place in the same zombie-infestedBritainthat the first film explored.
Fast zombies arecommonly found in zombie movies now as they are arguably more intense and fear-inducing, and 2002's28 Days Later was the first zombie film ever to introduce this concept in contrast to the slow-moving ones.
One of the most influential zombie flicks of the century, its effects can be found in virtually every other zombie film that succeeds it, to a certain extent. It was made on a surprisingly small budget of only $8 million, which is difficult to imagine in this day and age.
Not the first nor the latestSouth Korean zombie film, butTrain to Busan has a relatively larger international fanbase than any other foreign film of its genre and is frequentlyconsidered one of the best.
From director Yeon Sang-ho, the film follows a group of people on a train ride to Busan as civilization crumbles around them in the form of a zombie apocalypse. It is certainly an emotional ride, and the film doesn't shy away from killing off a majority of its cast of characters throughout the disastrous events of the movie.
George A. Romero's 1978 filmDawn of the Dead is one of the earliest forerunners of the modern-day zombie genre that greatly influencedits rise in popularity over the years. The 2004 remake of the same name was directed by Man of Steel director Zack Snyder in his debut film and written by Guardians of the Galaxy directorJames Gunn.
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Whether the remake is better than the original is a debate for a different time, but the film grossed nearly four times its budget of$26 million at the box-office.
When dealing with zombies thereare basically two routes a film can take.It can either be super serious about its premise or just be purely fun, and Zombieland exceeds in the latter category.
In his debut film, VenomdirectorRuben Fleischer with Deadpool screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick tell the story of a recluse college kidwho traverses a zombie-infested America. Banding together with a group of strangers, the only thing that has kept him alive as long as it has is a strict set of rules he follows, which is a running gimmick in the film series.
Romance and zombies don't sound like the most compatible genres, but Warm Bodies manages to make it work somehow. It was based on the book of the same name by author Isaac Marion,which in turn was inspired by Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (a play about death but not necessarily the undead).
X-Men: First ClassactorNicholas Hoult plays a zombie by the name of R, who regains his humanity back after falling in love with a human being. The question of whether it's good or bad aside, the premise is certainly as unique as it comes.
2009'Zombielandwas a financial hit and also loved by audiences and critics worldwide, but even then it took nearly a decade for the sequel to finally get released. That is to be perhaps expected from a star-studded cast that includes people with understandably busy schedules such asWoody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, and Emma Stone.
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Double Tapcontinues the journey of the four on even more shenanigans as they grow closer as a family while introducing newer actors into the plot such as The Mandalorian starRosario Dawson.
Elevated purely by the performance of its lead starBrad Pitt,World War Zis the story of an ex-UN field agent investigating a worldwide pandemic that has turned the population into zombies while trying to ensure his family's safety.
A top-tier thriller that is as much about survival as it is about family, the film had an extremely troubling development that involved several re-writes and reshoots. Despite grossing nearly three times its budget, the production of a sequel proved to be problematic andas of right now is reported to be canceled.
Resident Evil films can be frequently found on lists about the worst movies based on video games, but on the other hand, they have never disappointed when it comes to the only thingthat ultimately matters- box office numbers.
Its last installment was the highest-grossing contender with over $312 million worldwide gross, so even if it was subtitled The Final Chapter it probably won't be. Created byPaul W. S. Anderson and featuring his wifeMilla Jovovich, the filmsrevolve around a woman Alice as she fights against the evilUmbrella Corporation.
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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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World War Z & 9 More Of The Highest-Grossing Zombie Movies Of All Time - Screen Rant
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- Researchers discover "Zombie Genes" in the brain that come to life after death - CMU The Tartan Online - April 5th, 2021
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- Call of Duty: Warzone's Zombies Move to a New Location - ComicBook.com - April 5th, 2021
- Corey Taylors Zombie Versus Ninja movie will commence shooting this year - Louder - April 5th, 2021
- Is Zombie Army 4 multiplayer? Heres all we know about the Rebellion Developments release - Republic TV - April 5th, 2021
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- The Best Zombie Movie According To Reddit Isn't What You'd Think - Looper - April 5th, 2021
- Zombie (The Cranberries song) - Wikipedia - March 9th, 2021
- How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse, According to the CDC - Inside Edition - March 9th, 2021
- The CDC wants you to prepare for a zombie apocalypse. (Yes, you read that right.) - USA TODAY - March 9th, 2021
- Call of Duty's Zombie Easter Eggs Were Too Hard, So Cold War Season 2 Is Simplifying Things - Kotaku - March 9th, 2021
- Resident Evil 3 Did Army of the Dead's Zombie Vegas 14 Years Ago - Screen Rant - March 9th, 2021
- The perfect Call of Duty zombies mode is here, and it's not Outbreak - PC Gamer - March 9th, 2021
- CDC Offers Guide to Survive Zombie Apocalypse and Other Natural Disasters - Complex - March 9th, 2021
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- Resurrected The Walking Dead star Lauren Cohan tells Conan her best zombie kill nicknames - The A.V. Club - March 9th, 2021
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- Zombie infection threat as country unlocks 50,000-year-old viruses - Yahoo News Australia - February 20th, 2021
- Stubbs the Zombie rises from his grave this March for PC via Steam - PC Invasion - February 20th, 2021
- Zombie Hit Train To Busan Is Getting A US Remake - GameSpot - February 20th, 2021
- Rob Zombie says the meat industrys future is unsustainable - NME.com - February 20th, 2021
- Stubbs The Zombie In Rebel Without A Pulse - Yahoo Entertainment - February 20th, 2021
- Batista Wanted To Play A Zombie On The Walking Dead, Rejected For Being "Too Big" - Fightful - February 20th, 2021
- Dave Bautista told he was too big to play zombie on The Walking Dead - NME - February 17th, 2021
- Dave Bautista Offered To Play A Zombie For Free On The Walking Dead - Screen Rant - February 17th, 2021
- Is plurilateralism making the WTO an institutional zombie? - East Asia Forum - February 17th, 2021
- REVIEW: Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, Vol. 1 is a Comedic Zombie Apocalypse - CBR - Comic Book Resources - February 17th, 2021
- Don't Eat Pete is a zombie survival game that's available now for Android in Early Access - Pocket Gamer - February 17th, 2021
- Call of Duty Warzone seems to be teasing Zombies - Gamesradar - February 17th, 2021
- James Gunn Weighs In On Whether Zombies Or Vampires Are More Dangerous - Looper - February 17th, 2021
- The Walking Dead back on the march - Stuff.co.nz - February 17th, 2021
- The Walking Dead Turned Dave Bautista Down for a Zombie Role - Superherohype.com - February 16th, 2021
- Army of the Dead Image Teases Zombie Heist Movie - /FILM - February 16th, 2021
- The Real Life Diet of Rob Zombie, Who Thinks Eating Vegan Is Metal - British GQ - February 16th, 2021
- Rob Zombie says veganism is about 'fighting the establishment' - Vegan Food and Living - February 16th, 2021
- The Next Generation of Marvel Zombies Is Already in the Marvel Universe - CBR - Comic Book Resources - February 16th, 2021
- It Looks Like Zombies Are Coming To Warzone Season 2 | TheGamer - TheGamer - February 16th, 2021
- ROB ZOMBIE Explains Why He Went Vegan "It Is Anti-Establishment" - Metal Injection - February 14th, 2021
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- This is what the DoD has planned for a zombie apocalypse - We Are The Mighty - February 14th, 2021
- 3 Cookbooks and guides to teach you how to survive during the eventual zombie apocalypse - Undead Walking - February 14th, 2021
- Call Of Duty Zombies: All Zombies Crews, Ranked - TheGamer - February 14th, 2021
- Tesla : Which is the best EV to own to survive a zombie apocalypse? - marketscreener.com - February 14th, 2021
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- Kennedy: Banks, communities need to collaborate on zombie property upkeep - The Daily Gazette - February 10th, 2021
- Zombies Attack Bend! [With Video] - The Source Weekly - February 10th, 2021
- Ten Zombie Comedies That Won't Rot Your Braaaaaaaains - tor.com - February 10th, 2021
- These Bulletproof Vehicles Are Perfect For Surviving The Zombie Apocalypse - HotCars - February 10th, 2021
- How a Left 4 Dead Remaster Could Revive the Zombie Shooter Genre - CBR - Comic Book Resources - February 10th, 2021
- Rise of Barnegat Light's Zombie Whale; It Starts With Dead Bigfoots, the Devils - The SandPaper - February 10th, 2021
- The Senate should do everything it can to avoid a zombie impeachment trial - CNN - February 9th, 2021
- 8 Video Game Zombies That Break the Traditional Mold - Bloody Disgusting - February 9th, 2021
- Zombie Reddy Four Days Box Office Collection, Teja Sajja's Film Is Ruling The Box Office. - Sakshi Post - February 9th, 2021
- Colm O'Regan: The perfect Valentine's Day gift - a zombie plan for the one you love - Irish Examiner - February 9th, 2021
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- Reanimation and Zombies: Discussion with author Frank Swain - WLNS - February 9th, 2021
- Stubbs the Zombie Is Returning In a Unique Re-release From Aspyr Media - Happy Gamer - February 9th, 2021
- Author discussion to explore reanimation, zombies - The Hillsdale Daily News - February 9th, 2021
- Not Ready to Die: These 5 'zombie' cars were sold alongside their replacements - Driving - February 5th, 2021
- Zombie Reddy movie review: When the zombies attack Seema - The Hindu - February 5th, 2021
- Stubbs the Zombie comes back from the dead in March, achievements revealed - TrueAchievements - February 5th, 2021
- Prasanth Varma: Zombie Reddy doesnt make a joke out of zombies - The Indian Express - February 5th, 2021
- Stubbs the Zombie Re-Release Launching in March | Game Rant - GameRant - February 5th, 2021
- Shang-Chi Finally Found the Cure for the Newest Kind of Marvel Zombie - CBR - Comic Book Resources - February 5th, 2021
- Free-Roam VR Unleashed - The Source Weekly - February 5th, 2021
- Releasing Today: Zombie Attack On Box Office.. - Greatandhra.com - February 5th, 2021
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- Stubbs the Zombie Achievements Listing Hints a Re-release in March - The Nerd Stash - February 5th, 2021
Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero