There are several billion-dollar grossing horror movie franchises, such as The Conjuring Universe, Alien, and Resident Evil, but no single horror movie has ever hit the $1 billion mark. That said, there are several that have come close.
The following list highlights the three highest-grossing horror movies of all time. Have you seen them all?
3. I Am Legend (2007)
Will Smith plays a virologist who becomes one of the last humans left in New York after a horrific virus wipes out the majority of the human race. A cure for cancer turns out to be a lethal pathogen that turns people into mutant nocturnal creatures.
I Am Legend is based on the book by Richard Matheson, and the film is one of the most suspenseful films I've ever seen, so it's no surprise it earned over $585 million. A sequel has been in the works for several years, with Smith set to reprise his role and Michael B. Jordan joining the cast.
2. The Sixth Sense (1999)
Many movie fans cite The Sixth Sense as the best of M. Night Shyamalan's films. It's considered a classic, with one of the most iconic plot twists ever. In theaters, The Sixth Sense made $672 million and garnered multiple Academy Award nominations, including for Best Picture, a rarity for horror films.
If you've never seen The Sixth Sense, I recommend watching it, but it's hard to find anyone who hasn't already been spoiled on the ending. Whether you know what happens or not, it's still a great film. The story revolves around a psychologist whose child patient claims he can see and speak with the dead.
1. It: Chapter One (2017)
Even though It, or It: Chapter One, isn't the first adaptation of Stephen King's classic horror novel, it is the most financially successful. The 2017 film grossed more than $704 million at the global box office, and the 2019 sequel earned over $473 million, coming in as the sixth highest-grossing horror movie.
Chapter One introduced us to the Losers' Club, a group of seven outcast children who become the primary targets of a terrifying eldritch monstrosity that resurfaces every 27 years to feast on kids. Although the titular monster is known as "It," the creature usually takes on the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown, a being that lurks in sewers and drags its hapless victims to their deaths. The second movie was polarizing, but most agree that the 2017 film was an excellent adaptation.