IT Chapter 2 has become second the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time, only to be bested by the first IT. With both movies making it to the top spot the IT franchise has cemented itself as one of the most successful horror movie franchise of all time. For this list, I will look at the best of the best, horror franchise that through the span of multiple movies has dominated the box-office. So here is a list of the top 5 most successful horror franchises. Now for this list, I will only be looking at domestic revenue only, Also despite what I said It and It Chapter 2 are not in this list because despite their success the longevity of these movies demonstrates that they still a long way to go. Let get started.
5. Paranormal Activities – $401.36 million
When the first Paranormal Activities movie came out it took the world by storm, the found-footage style while not new was still fresh enough that nothing felt too cheesy, the franchised earned $401.36 million, or $452.71 million when adjusted for inflation. I still remember going home, turning on MTV and watching Snooki, and Vinny commercial where they reacted to the movie, and that was the brilliance of this franchise. Word of mouth and a strong advertising campaign made each of the 6 films feel like must-watch events. However, despite the success, the films themselves were just okay. The films dragged on and for a majority of the time, nothing really happens outside of something moving. This changed as the movies got more paranormal, but they also got much more convoluted with the introduction of an evil demon, and the cult that worship it. As high as the franchise was, the fall was just as hard.
4. Jaws – $408.05 million
The original Jaws was a huge games changer, one of the first films that pioneered the summer blockbuster crazed. The Jaws franchise is not only iconic, but it is also highly successful earning $408.05 million or $1.62 billion when adjusted for inflation. While the first Jaws is an amazing film that earns all it praise, however, the same can not be said about the follow-up films. Jaws 2, Jaws 3-D, and of course Jaws revenge made the franchise a parody of itself introducing more sharks, and the son of the original. It is saved to say the movies slowly started to become comedies. With that said the first Jaws, unfortunately, does not stand the test of time. A slow film, with scenes of nothing particular happening, the movie does an amazing job at establishing the mod of the film, however, modern audiences would not appreciate the film. It is really a film that you have to know what you are getting into if you ever decided to watch it.
3. Saw – $415.91 million
The Saw films are as incredible as they are convoluted with an incredible $415.91 million or $544.14 million after inflation. The premise of each film drops a few unsuspected victims into a game where they need to escape the puzzle or die. In order to solve the puzzle, the victims must make horrific sacrifices, such as ripping off their own arms or even killing one another. At the same time, there is always a B plot in which the police are trying to discover who Jigsaw is. This is brilliant because it gives the viewer an idea of who the villain is while at the same time experiencing the danger that he poses to the movie. The real strength of the franchise comes from the kills, each movie one-up each other by introducing new and stranger way to kill the victims. However, the franchises weakness is when it tries to put the main story front and center. And it will take a lot of time to explain the story, however, if you are looking for a simple franchise with awesome kills, Saw is an excellent choice.
2. The Conjuring – $425.41 million
By now the pattern of this list has been a franchise with a strong start that gets worse with the following sequels. This is perfectly exemplified with The Conjuring movies which made $425.41 million or $451.25 million when adjusted for inflation. The original Conjuring is one of the best modern horror films blending a great story with amazing acting. The best way to view the following films is by comparing it to the MCU. With spin-off such as Anabel, and The Nun, each serving as stand-alone films, while at the same time all taking place in the same universe. Despite being second on this list, the Conjuring Universe is still going strong, with a few announced films in the work such as The Crooked Man, and Conjuring 3. So it is possible that The Conjuring could easily become the highest-grossing horror franchise, however, there is still one more franchise that still holds the top spot.
1. Alien – $590.19 million
Alien is the perfect blend of Scifi and horror, the franchise as a whole has its ups and downs but still manages to gain $590.19 million or $1.09 billion when adjusted for inflation. From the first Alien to Alien Covenant the story always fascinated moviegoers creating wonderful mythology revolving around the Xenomorphs and their origins, and along with the infamous Weyland-Yutani company and there constant quest for the ultimate lifeform. While it is fair to say that the movies have gone down in quality with the stronger emphasis on lore versus more alien horror. Alien has a strong legacy that has cemented as the most successful horror franchise.