Horror is one of the most popular movie genres, and most of them are all but guaranteed to generate some type of profit. Horror movies are famously cheap to produce and film and most of them make some type of profit on their first weekend alone. Of course, not every horror movie enjoys such success, but most of the "big" and "popular" films generate a high degree of profit and return on investment.
It's always interesting to see which movies do well in a specific time frame. Studying it often reveals trends, celebrity, the waxing and waning of popular franchises, and even the rise of up and coming filmmakers.
Annabelle: Creation (2017) - $306 Million
The Conjuring series absolutely dominated the 2010s - as this list will soon prove. Released in 2017, Annabelle: Creation served as the fourth installment in the series and the direct sequel to 2014's Annabelle.
Critical opinion towards Creation was far more favorable, as was its box office takings. Whereas the first Annabelle grossed $256 million worldwide, Creation scored an even more impressive $306 million - $102 million of which came from the domestic market.
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016) - $312 Million
The Resident Evil series has always toed the line between horror, science fiction, and action - particularly in the later installments, once the series began veering from its video game source material. As The Final Chapter served as, well, the final chapter, this movie performed quite well at the box office.
The movie was a near disaster in the domestic market, opening at #4 and grossing just $26 million. However, the movie scored a very impressive $285 million in international markets, resulting in a worldwide take of $312.2 million.
The Conjuring (2013) - $319 Million
The movie that started it all, The Conjuring opened in July of 2013 and was an instant hit with both critics and audiences. Aided by strong reviews, the movie opened at #1 with a very strong $41 million opening weekend.
It stayed in the top ten for four weeks and eventually grossed $137 million in the domestic market - a stellar showing, considering the movie's $20 million budget. It also took home $182 million in international markets, accounting for a worldwide take of $319.4 million.
The Conjuring 2 (2016) - $320 Million
Against all odds, The Conjuring 2 proved one of those rare horror sequels that actually worked. Funnily enough, it grossed virtually the exact same amount as its predecessor. Opening the June 10-12 weekend of 2016, this sequel also debuted at #1 with a $40 million opening weekend.
Like its predecessor, it also spent four weeks in the top ten before grossing $102 million domestically - quite a steep decline when compared to the original's $137 million take. However, it was aided by a $217 million international gross, resulting in a near-identical $320.3 million worldwide.
A Quiet Place (2018) - $340 Million
One of the most popular original horror films of the 2010s, A Quiet Place proved a huge success for Paramount and director/star John Krasinski. Despite being an original movie and opening in the quiet April season, A Quiet Place debuted at #1 with a $50 million opening weekend and spent two non-consecutive weeks at the top.
It spent eight weeks in the top ten and grossed nearly $189 million at the domestic box office. When combined with the international gross of $152 million, A Quiet Place scored a cumulative $340.9 million.
The Nun (2018) - $365 Million
Serving as the fifth installment in the Conjuring universe, The Nun was a spinoff of The Conjuring 2 and starred that movie's popular Demon Nun character, Valak. Despite some scathing reviews, The Nun proved a huge hit at the box office.
The movie opened at #1 the weekend of September 7-9, 2018, and spent six weeks in the top ten, eventually accumulating $117.4 million in the domestic market. It proved a huge hit internationally, grossing $248 million and resulting in a stellar worldwide take of $365.5 million - the highest of the Conjuring franchise.
The Mummy (2017) - $409 Million
The Mummy is another film that earned horrid reviews from professional critics but a strong box office taking. Despite earning a slew of nominations at that year's Razzie Awards (including Worst Picture), The Mummy opened at #2 with $31.6 million - having missed the top spot by Wonder Woman in its second weekend.
It eventually accumulated a respectable $80 million in the domestic market, but it performed far better internationally, where it scored $329 million. All told, The Mummy took home $409.2 million.
It Chapter Two (2019) - $473 Million
Despite it being a major commercial and critical disappointment, It Chapter Two was nevertheless a wild success. Even the second half's reputation and the nearly three hour running time didn't deter audiences from going to the movies, and the movie opened at #1 with a fantastic $91 million opening weekend.
It spent a second week at the top and seven weeks in the top ten, finishing its domestic run with $211 million. A $261 million international gross contributed to the movie's worldwide taking of $473 million.
World War Z (2013) - $540 Million
Despite having nothing in common with its beloved source material, World War Z nevertheless proved a major commercial success. Whether by Brad Pitt's name, the marketing, or the strong source material, World War Z opened at #2 with $66.4 million - it was prevented from the top spot by a debuting Monsters University.
It spent five weeks in the top ten and grossed a very respectable $202 million in the domestic market. Its international gross of $337 million resulted in a worldwide taking of $540 million.
It (2017) - $700 Million
As great as World War Z performed, it had nothing on 2017's It. Then again, nothing has anything on It, as it is currently the highest-grossing horror film of all time when not adjusted for inflation. The movie opened at #1 with $123.4 million and spent two consecutive weeks in the top spot.
It spent eight weekends in the top ten and grossed $327.4 million in the domestic market. When combined with the movie's $372 million international gross, It set a record with its $700.3 million worldwide takings.