The 10 Most Successful Horror Films Ever Made, Ranked By Box Office Mojo

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Jun 20, 2022

Horror has always been a heavyweight at the global box office. From the dawning of New Hollywood with the 1975 release of Jaws, to the very recent Stephen King juggernaut It: Chapter 2, genre titles have been consistently reaping major returns. Today we’re here to take a close look at the top ten highest-earning horror titles of all time, ranked by the always reliable Box Office Mojo.

Coming in on top of the entire list of biggest scary box office smashes is the 2017 theatrical adaptation of Stephen King’s It. Also retroactively retitled It: Part 1 – The Losers’ Club, this big-budget reimagining of Stephen King’s most famous novel cast a spell on global audiences, eventually becoming the most successful horror film ever made. It: Chapter 1 earned over $700,000,000 at the box office and received largely positive reviews from critics and fans alike. With the second chapter earning the sixth spot on the following list due to its $400,000,000 recoupment, there’s no surprise a new HBO Max prequel series is currently in development. The world just can’t get enough of Pennywise the Clown.

Sliding into tenth place is The Conjuring Universe‘s extension of its favorite villain, The Nun. After making scene-stealing appearances in successful entries like The Conjuring 2 and Annabelle: Creation, The Nun finally got her own entry within the massive franchise back in 2018. While fans and critics were cool on the CGI-heavy entry, The Nun would out-grow her extended universe family, becoming the highest-earner in the Conjuring franchise with a global box office of $365,550,119. Now, when will we be seeing The Crooked Man make his solo debut?

Okay, sure. Sometimes it feels like the only big box office draws are IP (looking at you Marvel, whose almost-horror outing Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness could have topped this list if we had allowed it to). But, sometimes, original ideas climb their way to the top. M. Night Shyamalan, a master of modern suspense, has not one but two original titles gracing the following list. Shyamalan’s 1999 breakout hit The Sixth Sense earns the second spot, with a whopping $672,806,292 at the global box office. Shyamalan’s spooky alien-encounters flick Signs also makes the top ten, having earned over $400,000,000 worldwide.

Here are the ten most successful horror films, ranked by Box Office Mojo:

  1. It (2017) – $700,381,759
  2. The Sixth Sense – $672,806,292
  3. I Am Legend – $585,349,010
  4. World War Z – $540,007,876
  5. The Meg – $530,243,742
  6. It: Chapter 2 – $473,093,228
  7. Jaws – $470,653,000
  8. The Exorcist – $441,306,145
  9. Signs – $408,247,917
  10. The Nun – $365,550,119

Another scary top-earner worth noting is considered by some to be the scariest film ever made: The Exorcist. The first horror title to ever be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, William Friedkin’s terrifying 1973 masterwork took home the gold for both Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound. The Exorcist has gone on to become a massive global franchise, spawning four sequels and a television series. Keep an eye out for the Blumhouse trilogy of new films starring Leslie Odom Jr. and Ellen Burstyn coming soon.

Lastly, how many of these top-ten most successful horror films have you seen? And do they deserve all of the attention they’ve received? Let me know on Twitter via @joshkorngut. I’m always around to chat about all things horror!

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