 |
| Wiki |
Even the very biggest 'horror' hits (the term is used VERY broadly in tables by leading sites) are nowhere near challenging the very biggest all-time box office hits, BUT the genre offers some advantages ...
> budgets tend to be low due to ...
- lack of stars (usually); teen fodder getting killed!
- lack of costly IP/franchise (and yes, there are obvious exceptions: IT, Halloween, but they're typically originals)
- limited CGI costs
> the genre itself has a fanbase
> strong female roles (final girl) boost appeal
> offers a visceral cinema experience
 |
| CNN |
It has been fairly common for Indies to strike distribution deals with the majors (the current big 5) too, though 'mini-major' Lionsgate showed it may be possible to challenge that club (and arguably Dimension Films, though Disney bought it in 1993 before selling it again in 2005 after its Scream/Scary Movie peak), but horrors offer a healthy budget to box office multiple - so the lower total figures still match up well.
 |
| LA Times |
Starting with your own initial analysis of a sample of 10 horror films from this century, use the following links to create your own guide to the industry context of 'horror'. Include detail on...
> key production companies (being clear which are Indie/subsidiary)
> typical budget range
- BUT note exceptions: low, micro-budget productions (including British examples) + the high end (put even these into context with 'tentpole' budgets)
> age ratings (focus on BBFC, MPAA) - include analysis of key themes, and compare to a typical top 10 to put into context
> box office and distribution: budget x3 is the likely break even point as marketing (distribution) spend typically equals the budget (though can be MUCH higher for found footage productions) and then the cinemas take their slice too. What kind of multiples (budget to box office) did you find? Does the Gant Rule seem to apply? What about China? Any distributor names stick out?
Make sure you incorporate some UK examples. Warp (Dead Man's Shoes) and Warp X (Donkey Punch, Kill List** etc) have produced many. Eden Lake is a good example. Here's my Ghost Stories analysis (Warp) **Warp Australia subsidiary
 |
| My blog on Ghost Stories |
...
SOME LINKS
I've posted frequently on this, eg: DISTRIBUTION getting micro-budget movies released.
ScreenRant: 2022 shows horror hitting box office gold
Similar analysis from LA Times; Entertainment Weekly; CNN... and here's a more UK-focused analysis from The Guardian (2019)
Collider: 10 highest-grossing horrors of past 10 years (from 2012)
Wiki: highest-grossing horror films ever
MovieWeb: highest-grossing horror franchises
