5 Classic Horror Films That Generated 200 Times Their Production Budget at the Box Office
Horror has consistently been a reliable genre at the box office, and these five films demonstrate this: Here are five classic horror movies that earned at least 200 times their production costs or more.
What do they share? Modest budgets, compelling ideas, and no big-name actors — as the concept itself takes center stage.
Notably, one of the films on this list did propel its leading actress to stardom.
Let's get started.
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Continental Distributing – Credit: C/O
George Romero’s iconic zombie horror film was filmed in black and white near Pittsburgh for under $125,000, featuring an unknown cast.
While zombie films had been made before, Romero’s version brought an unsettling atmosphere, tight narrative, and lacked camp — it felt almost like a post-apocalyptic, immersive documentary, which contributes to its enduring appeal today.
It grossed over $30 million — more than 200 times its budget — and inspired a reboot, sequels, and countless imitators.
There aren’t many indie films that achieve this level of success.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Bryanston Distributing Company
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre also thrived by keeping it serious — there’s a disturbing feeling that what unfolds on-screen is actually happening or could happen.
Tobe Hooper produced the film for under $140,000, and it went on to gross $30.9 million. Its impact can be seen in numerous films that followed, such as X and Alien.
The film is receiving renewed attention due to the successful Netflix series Monster: The Ed Gein Story, as the real-life Wisconsin murderer Ed Gein partially inspired Leatherface, the main antagonist of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Gein also influenced the villains in Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 Psycho and 1991's The Silence of the Lambs. While both are highly profitable classics, neither matched the immense profitability of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which generated well over 200 times its budget.
Halloween (1978)
Compass International Pictures – Credit: Sony Pictures
Halloween is the only film on this list that catapulted one of its stars to fame — Jamie Lee Curtis remains a prominent figure and recently won her first Oscar for her supporting role in Everything Everywhere All at Once.
The then-couple John Carpenter and Debra Hill crafted a tight, haunting script for Halloween, set in an all-American town named after Hill's birthplace, the charming Philadelphia suburb of Haddonfield, New Jersey. The result is one of the most frightening horror films of the 1970s and any decade since.
Halloween went on to gross $70 million worldwide, spawning a film franchise totaling an impressive 13 films, including Halloween Ends, which Jamie Lee Curtis has claimed will be her final appearance as Laurie Strode.
We’ll see how that unfolds.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Artisan Entertainment – Credit: C/O
During the early days of widespread internet use, viewers were genuinely uncertain if The Blair Witch Project was a real documentary or fictional found-footage horror. The found-footage style was still relatively new, which heightened the terror of The Blair Witch Project.
Forced by a limited budget, the filmmakers cleverly opted to leave out several elements or imply them instead. The most chilling scene in The Blair Witch Project features just a man standing in a corner, filled with guilt and shame.
Filmed in Maryland for less than $1 million, it grossed $248.6 million. The Blair Witch Project led to multiple attempts to capture the original's dark magic, but few films have succeeded.
Paranormal Activity (2007)
Paramount – Credit: C/O
Another success in found-footage horror, Oren Peli's Paranormal Activity unfolds through footage from a stationary home video camera. Initially shot for $15,000, it was picked up by Paramount, which contributed an additional $200,000 to enhance the scares and add a new ending.
This investment paid off massively: Paranormal Activity earned $194.2 million and inspired several sequels.
The influence of Paranormal Activity can be seen in many horror films since, including the recent excellent film Weapons, which incorporates almost hypnotic Ring camera and CCTV footage of children running away… somewhere. We won’t spoil the plot, but for a truly scary preview, check this out.
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Main image: Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween, Compass International Pictures.
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5 Classic Horror Films That Generated 200 Times Their Production Budget at the Box Office
Horror has consistently been a successful genre at the box office, and these five films demonstrate this fact: Here are five iconic horror movies that earned 200 times their budget.