We don’t need to tell you that 2017 has been a tremendously strong year for horror films. Not only in terms of quality pics, but at the box office, too. Between titles like It, Get Out, Split and Annabelle: Creation, the genre has been pulling in some serious dough over the past few months and now, another milestone has been reached.
Just days after 2017 went down in the history books as the biggest year ever for horror, we’re now learning that the genre has grossed over $1 billion dollars in revenue domestically.
“For perspective, most years don’t even come close to the heights horror has climbed in 2017,” The Wrap notes. “The highest grossing horror film in 2016 was “The Conjuring 2,” with $102 million, a total bested by all four of the horror films listed above.”
Of course, much of this success can be contributed to the aforementioned movies. First up is It, which now sits at a whopping $324.5 million, while Get Out brought in $175.7 million. Following them, Split earned $138.1 million and Annabelle: Creation generated $102.1 million.
Even films that bombed critically though, like The Bye Bye Man, managed to do alright, as that movie earned $22 million on home turf. While inflation no doubt plays a role here, this is still the biggest year for the genre by far, with the previous record holder going to 2000, when horror films earned $617.7 million.
Looking ahead, 2018 is shaping up to be pretty huge, too. Between Insidious: Chapter 4, Annihilation, The Purge 4, The Nun, The Conjuring 3 and Halloween – to name just a few – there’s much to get excited about and with any luck, 2018 might actually beat 2017 at the box office. Even if it doesn’t, though, no one can deny that it’s a great time to be a horror fan!