FINAL 40 AT THE BOX OFFICE: HORROR FRANCHISE CHAMPS OF ALL TIME (SPRING 2026 EDITION)

While “How time flies when horror franchises are slaying it at the box office” may not be an idiom, it’s nonetheless a reasonable observation for me to be making in the Spring of 2026. 

A LOT has happened since January 2024, which was the last time I reported on the TOP HORROR FRANCHISES OF ALL TIME at the North America, International, and combined Worldwide BOX OFFICE.  At that time, I shared a somewhat modest list of the Top 15 in each box office category; however, for this Spring 2026 edition, that list has been expanded to reveal the TOP 40 HORROR FRANCHISES OF ALL TIME. (What can I say, I couldn’t help myself.)

BTW, for the purposes of my champ-crowning quest, I first compiled a staggering list of 59 qualifying horror franchises to compete, which you’ll find below and includes the release date of the original, as well as the number of movies which I believe each franchise consists of. And a gentle reminder that horror comes in MANY shapes and sizes (ie. sub-genres), which is very much reflected in the list.  Remember, not all horror movies are slashers.

Immediately following the list of contenders, the TOP 40 HORROR FRANCHISES OF ALL TIME at the North America, International, and combined Worldwide box office are revealed.

Six horror franchises have so far crossed the BILLION-dollar threshold at the Worldwide box office. Can you guess which ones? And where do your favourite franchises land on the Top 40, whether it be the category of North America, International, or combined Worldwide box office?

THE CONTENDERS (LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET

*Number of qualifying films: 8

*Includes Freddy vs. Jason

*Excludes A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) remake

Release date of first film: November 9, 1984

A QUIET PLACE

Number of qualifying films:  3

Release date of first film:  April 6, 2018

ALIEN

*Number of qualifying films: 9

*Includes Director’s Cut, Alien vs. Predator, and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem

Release date of first film: May 25, 1979

AMITYVILLE

*Number of qualifying films: 4

*Excludes The Amityville Horror (2005) remake

Release date of first film: July 27, 1979

ANNABELLE

Number of qualifying films:  3 

Release date of first film:  October 3, 2014

BLADE

Number of qualifying films:  3 

Release date of first film:  August 21, 1998

BLAIR WITCH

Number of qualifying films:  3 

Release date of first film:  July 16, 1999

CANDYMAN

Number of qualifying films:  3 

Release date of first film:  October 16, 1992

CHILD’S PLAY

*Number of qualifying films:  5 

*Excludes Child’s Play (2019) remake

Release date of first film:  November 11, 1988

CLOVERFIELD

Number of qualifying films:  2 

Release date of first film:  January 18, 2008

ESCAPE ROOM

Number of qualifying films:  2 

Release date of first film:  January 4, 2019

EVIL DEAD

Number of qualifying films:  4

*Excludes Evil Dead (2013) remake

Release date of first film:  January 1, 1983    

FINAL DESTINATION

Number of qualifying films:  6

Release date of first film:  March 17, 2000

FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S

Number of qualifying films:  2

Release date of first film:  October 25, 2023

47 METERS DOWN

Number of qualifying films: 2

Release date of first film: June 16, 2017

FRIDAY THE 13^TH

*Number of qualifying films:  11

*Includes Freddy vs. Jason

*Excludes Friday the 13^th (2009) remake

Release date of first film:  May 9, 1980

HALLOWEEN

*Number of qualifying films:  11

*Includes Halloween III:  Season of the Witch

*Excludes Rob Zombie’s Halloween remakes (2)

Release date of first film:  October 25, 1978

HALLOWEEN (Rob Zombie)

Number of qualifying films:  2

Release date of first film:  August 31, 2007

HAPPY DEATH DAY

Number of qualifying films:  2

Release date of first film:  October 13, 2017

HELLRAISER

Number of qualifying films:  4

Release date of first film:  September 18, 1987

HOSTEL

Number of qualifying films:  2

Release date of first film:  January 6, 2006

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER

Number of qualifying films:  3

Release date of first film:  November 13, 1997

INSIDIOUS

Number of qualifying films:  5

Release date of first film:  April 1, 2011

IT

Number of qualifying films:  2 

Release date of first film:  September 8, 2017

JAWS

Number of qualifying films:  4

Release date of first film:  June 20, 1975

JEEPERS CREEPERS

Number of qualifying films:  3

Release date of first film:  August 31, 2001

LEPRECHAUN

Number of qualifying films:  2

Release date of first film:  January 8, 1993

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD

Number of qualifying films:  6

*Excludes Night of the Living Dead remake (1990)

OUIJA

Number of qualifying films:  2

Release date of first film:  October 24, 2014

PARANORMAL ACITIVITY

Number of qualifying films:  6

Release date of first film:  September 25, 2009

POLTERGEIST

Number of qualifying films: 3

*Excludes Poltergeist remake (2015)

Release date of first film: June 4, 1982

PREDATOR

*Number of qualifying films: 7

*Includes Alien vs. Predator, and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem

Release date of first film: June 12, 1987

PSYCHO

*Number of qualifying films:  3

*Excludes Psycho remake (1998)

Release date of first film:  June 16, 1960

READY OR NOT

Number of qualifying films: 2

Release date of first film: August 21, 2019

RESIDENT EVIL

Number of qualifying films:  6

Release date of first film:  March 15, 2002

RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD

Number of qualifying films:  3

Release date of first film:  August 16, 1985

SAW

Number of qualifying films:  10

Release date of first film:  October 29, 2004

SCREAM

Number of qualifying films:  7

Release date of first film:  December 20, 1996

SINISTER

Number of qualifying films:  2

Release date of first film:  October 12, 2012

SMILE

Number of qualifying films:  2

Release date of first film:  September 30, 2022

TERRIFIER

Number of qualifying films:  3

Release date of first film:  September 29, 2022

THE CONJURING

Number of qualifying films: 4

Release date of first film:  July 19, 2013

THE EXORCIST

*Number of qualifying films:  6

*Includes Director’s Cut, and Extended Director’s Cut

Release date of first film:  December 26, 1973

THE HOWLING

Number of qualifying films:  2

Release date of first film:  April 10, 1981

THE LAST EXORCISM

Number of qualifying films:  2

Release date of first film:  August 27, 2010

THE NUN

Number of qualifying films:  2

Release date of first film:  September 5, 2018

THE OMEN

Number of qualifying films:  4

Release date of first film:  June 25, 1976

THE PURGE

Number of qualifying films:  5

Release date of first film:  June 7, 2013

THE RING

Number of qualifying films:  3

Release date of first film:  October 18, 2002

THE SHINING

Number of qualifying films:  2

Release date of first film:  May 23, 1980

THE STRANGERS

Number of qualifying films:  2

Release date of first film:  May 30, 2008

THE STRANGERS (2024-2026)

Number of qualifying films:  3

Release date of first film:  May 15, 2024

THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE

*Number of qualifying films:  6

*Excludes The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake (2003)

Release date of first film:  October 1, 1974

THE WOMAN IN BLACK

Number of qualifying films:  2

Release date of first film:  February 3, 2012

TRAIN TO BUSAN

Number of qualifying films:  2

Release date of first film:  July 20, 2016

28 DAYS LATER

Number of qualifying films:  4

Release date of first film:  February 28, 2002

UNDERWORLD

Number of qualifying films:  5

Release date of first film:  October 1, 2003

X

Number of qualifying films:  3

Release date of first film:  March 18, 2022

ZOMBIELAND

Number of qualifying films:  2

Release date of first film:  October 2, 2009

The Franchise Champs (SPRING 2026)

NORTH AMERICAN BOX OFFICE (U.S. DOLLARS)

1. ALIEN – $700,767,060
2. SCREAM – $643,335,882
3. IT – $540,422,102
4. HALLOWEEN – $532,281,673
5. SAW – $531,606,096
6. A QUIET PLACE – $487,148,506
7. THE CONJURING – $483,257,644
8. JAWS – $428,129.375
9. PREDATOR – $406,593,285
10. FINAL DESTINATION – 401,710,494
11. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY – $401,348,020
12. THE EXORCIST – $397,464,486
13. INSIDIOUS – $339,716,447
14. THE PURGE – $329,677,280
15. FRIDAY THE 13^TH – $317,744,054
16. A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET – $307,540,010
17. RESIDENT EVIL – $271,274,006
18. FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S – $265,005,910
19. ANNABELLE – $260,518,605
20. UNDERWORLD – $252,766,892
21. THE RING – $233,152,400
22. BLADE – $208,847,943
23. THE NUN – $203,748,295
24. BLAIR WITCH – $187,753,254
25. SMILE – $174,947,634
26. 28 DAYS LATER – $169,298,311
27. CLOVERFIELD – $152,131,431
28. ZOMBIELAND – $148,713,368
29. I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER – $144,753,880
30. POLTERGEIST – $132,288,454
31. THE OMEN – $128,005,519
32. CHILD’S PLAY – $126,190,934
33. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE – $118,696,040
34. AMITYVILLE – $105,300,694
35. CANDYMAN – $100,919,263
36. HALLOWEEN (ROB ZOMBIE) – $91,665,002
37. EVIL DEAD – $87,059,074
38. OUIJA – $86,000,515
39. HAPPY DEATH DAY – $83,831,975
40. ESCAPE ROOM – $82,320,354

INTERNATIONAL BOX OFFICE (U.S. DOLLARS)

1. ALIEN – $1,163,820,685
2. RESIDENT EVIL – $961,401,423
3. THE CONJURING – $862,217,307
4. IT – $634,467,570
5. SAW – $598,920,807
6. FINAL DESTINATION – $582,910,722
7. ANNABELLE – $534,297,531
8. PREDATOR – $528,849,764
9. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY – $489,160,399
10. SCREAM – $481,151,378
11. THE NUN – $432,001,575
12. A QUIET PLACE – $413,070,769
13. INSIDIOUS – $391,716,257
14. JAWS – $390,359,000
15. THE EXORCIST – $304,912,379
16. UNDERWORLD – $287,783,023
17. FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S – $265,153,076
18. THE RING – $263,273,372
19. BLADE – $213,229,554
20. THE PURGE – $204,218,099
21. HALLOWEEN – $189,637,338
22. 28 DAYS LATER – $187,784,601
23. SMILE – $180,589,733
24. BLAIR WITCH – $153,796,093
25. ESCAPE ROOM – $139,166,213
26. TRAIN TO BUSAN – $132,863,751
27. CLOVERFIELD – $130,479,747
28. HAPPY DEATH DAY – $106,247,443
29. OUIJA – $99,295,502
30. THE WOMAN IN BLACK – $96,975,590
31. I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER – $85,642,486
32. EVIL DEAD – $80,161,944
33. ZOMBIELAND – $76,489,111
34. SINISTER – $60,016,405
35. HOSTEL – $52,772,084
36. JEEPERS CREEPERS – $50,431,752
37. READY OR NOT – $44,401,546
38. 47 METERS DOWN – $43,202,001
39. THE SHINING – $42,919,544
40. TERRIFIER – $42,711,799

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE (U.S. DOLLARS)

1. ALIEN – $1,864,587,745
2. THE CONJURING – $1,345,474,951
3. RESIDENT EVIL – $1,232,675,429
4. IT – $1,174,889,672
5. SAW – $1,130,527,791
6. SCREAM   – $1,124,487,260
7. FINAL DESTINATION – $984,621,216
8. PREDATOR – $935,443,049
9. A QUIET PLACE – $900,219,275
10. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY – $890,508,419
11. JAWS – $818,488,375
12. ANNABELLE – $794,816,136
13. INSIDIOUS – $731,432,704
14. HALLOWEEN – $722,079,011
15. THE EXORCIST – $702,376,865
16. THE NUN – $635,749,870
17. UNDERWORLD – $540,549,915
18. THE PURGE – $533,895,397
19. FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S – $530,158,986
20. THE RING – $496,425,772
21. BLADE – $418,077,497
22. FRIDAY THE 13^TH – $355,884,656
23. SMILE – $355,537,367
24. A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET – $343,396,074
25. BLAIR WITCH – $341,549,347
26. 28 DAYS LATER – $298,579,093
27. CLOVERFIELD – $282,611,178
28. I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER – $230,396,366
29. ZOMBIELAND – $225,202,479
30. ESCAPE ROOM – $221,486,567
31. HAPPY DEATH DAY – $190,079,418
32. OUIJA – $185,296,017
33. THE WOMAN IN BLACK – $177,810,203
34. EVIL DEAD – $167,221,018
35. THE OMEN – $161,758,597
36. CHILD’S PLAY – $152,379,058
37. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE – $143,978,700
38. TRAIN TO BUSAN – $136,224,926
39. SINISTER – $135,844,263
40. POLTERGEIST – $132,288,454

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