10 Highest-Grossing Horror Movies Since 2000, Ranked By Box Office
Horror has grown into a huge industry in recent decades, and these 10 films are the highest-grossing horror movies since the year 2000. Though the genre has always been a popular draw for film fans, horror has really blossomed into something more than a niche subculture in the last 25 years.
Horror flicks aren't just drawing huge crowds, but getting rave reviews from critics and even winning major awards. Just this year, several horror films shocked the world and snagged Oscars. It has taken generations of hard work, but horror is finally being taken seriously as a storytelling medium on par with more established genres. This all combines to make horror one of the most profitable parts of the modern film landscape.
The highest-grossing horror films since the year 2000 are also most of the highest-grossing horror films of all time. With a few notable exceptions, like Jaws, The Exorcist, and The Sixth Sense, all the most successful horror films ever made have been released this millennium. What's more, box offices continue to surge in the horror genre, even as others struggle to become profitable.
Because budgets are relatively low, horror has generally been a pretty safe venture for studios. This lesson continues to play out today, with two of the highest-grossing and most profitable films ever made coming from 2026. It's only a matter of time before another movie comes along and shakes up the running order, but for now, these blockbuster horror films sit atop the list.
10 Backrooms (2026) - $390 Million
Just barely scratching its way onto the list is Backrooms, one of the two surprise hits from the year 2026. Kane Parson's infamous web series bursts onto the big screen with the story of a downtrodden furniture store owner who discovers a mysterious labyrinth inside the walls of his store. The A24 release captured the audience's attention with its subtle liminal scares.
On only a $10 million production budget, Backrooms made nearly $400 million at the box office. Any way you slice it, the sleeper hit is extremely profitable, and proof that fresh ideas can actually draw in crowds with the right marketing and word of mouth. The fact that a $390 million movie is only the 10th highest-grossing horror film since 2000 is a testament to how successful the genre has become.
9 Prometheus (2012) - $403 Million
Despite being the most divisive installment in the Alien franchise thus far, Prometheus is also the highest-grossing of the bunch. Ridley Scott returned to helm the sci-fi epic that explores the origins of life in the universe, including that of the deadly Xenomorph. The philosophical flick left some viewers disappointed, but it deserves points for trying something new with the tired franchise after so many years.
Every movie in the Alien franchise has grossed at least $100 million at the box office.
Curiosity pushed Prometheus to a box office of more than $400 million, and none of the sequels released since have even come close to matching its success. Considering it was the first true installment in the franchise since 1997's Alien: Resurrection (ignoring the Alien vs. Predator movies), series stalwarts were ready to see what Scott could do with the franchise he created back in 1979.
8 Signs (2002) - $408 Million
M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense is the second highest-grossing horror film ever made, and his follow-up also cracks the top 15 of all time. Signs is the story of a widower who sees portents of an alien invasion on his rural farm, and it connects to his tragic past. Though it's more of a sci-fi thriller than a pure horror flick, Signs has some legitimately freaky moments.
Shyamalan was on top of the world in 2002, and no matter what he released after The Sixth Sense was going to be a smashing success. However, Signs' $408 million box office surpassed expectations. Despite the fact that nearly 25 years have passed, it remains one of the biggest hits since the year 2000. Considering inflation and ballooning ticket prices, it's amazing that Signs still cracks the list.
7 Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) - $452 Million
Though the original film was a pretty big hit, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice blew its predecessor out of the water. The long-awaited horror comedy sequel sees the return of the notorious bio-exorcist and most of the cast of the classic Tim Burton flick. Speaking of Burton, he managed a return to form with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, showing flashes of his former glory.
The sequel cost a considerable amount, about $100 million, but its $452 million box office means the film was quite the financial success. Legacy sequel movies are usually an opportunity to print money for studios, and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was a smart move. Unlike other sequels, there has been a desire to see more of the title character since his debut back in 1988. That likely drove the box office numbers.
6 It Chapter Two (2019) - $473 Million
Spoiler alert: this is not the last time that an It movie will appear on this list. Released two years after the first, It Chapter Two follows the adult version of the characters as they return to Derry to do battle with Pennywise once again. Critically and commercially, the sequel was a step back. But that doesn't mean the Stephen King adaptation wasn't one of the highest-grossing horror flicks ever.
The spooky clown movie made over $473 million at the box office, and sits at number eight on the all-time highest-grossing horror movie list. The rise of nostalgic horror properties like Stranger Things helped the modern It adaptation strike a chord with viewers, but then again, it has always been one of King's signature works. As evidenced by the success of Welcome to Derry, fans can't get enough.
5 Obsession (2026) - $474 Million
Obsession squeaked by It Chapter Two to become the fifth highest-grossing horror film since the year 2000, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Curry Barker's tale of a magical wish that goes horribly wrong has struck a chord with the social media generation, and it is still getting buzz nearly three months after its premiere. Instead of quickly dumping the movie on streaming, Obsession's theatrical window was extended.
Obsession is still playing in select theaters, so the box office may actually be slightly higher.
This pushed it to an impressive $474 million. It is doubly inspiring because the film was made for only $750 thousand by a small studio. For the first time in ages, an original movie spurred audiences to flock to the theater, and Obsession is yet another glimmer of hope in a bleak cinematic landscape. What's more, the film is officially one of the most profitable movies ever made, regardless of its genre.
4 The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025) - $499 Million
When a beloved horror franchise tells fans that the latest installment is going to be the last, it tends to cause a bump at the box office. That's exactly what happened with The Conjuring: Last Rites, as the fictionalized version of the Warren's rode off into the sunset on their final supernatural encounter. The franchise has always been successful, but Last Rites takes things to new heights.
Despite a pretty middling critical reception, the film almost scared up $500 million at the box office. Not adjusting for inflation, only four horror movies in history have made $500 million or more, so Last Rites is in pretty rare company. If The Conjuring franchise continues through spinoffs, it's highly unlikely that any will surpass the box office triumph of Last Rites.
3 World War Z (2013) - $540 Million
Because World War Z had everything going for it, it isn't that surprising the movie was a success. However, the massive scale of the film's box office performance remains one of the biggest shocks of the 21st century. Brad Pitt battles fast-moving zombies in the horror action flick, and the film came right as the zombie craze was hitting its crescendo. All the studio got in return was a measly half billion dollars at the box office, and the fourth highest-grossing horror film ever made.
The staggering success of World War Z can partially be chalked up to its deft blending of genres, and it's the kind of horror film that can attract a much wider audience than the usual zombie fare. Pitt's stardom is also a big driver of its popularity, and it's rare that a name like his is attached to a horror film. The early 2010s was a boom period for box offices, and World War Z reaped the reward.
2 I Am Legend (2007) - $585 Million
Like World War Z, I Am Legend was able to crack the code because it appealed to a much larger audience than most horror films at the time. The adaptation of Richard Matheson's classic book stars Will Smith, who must survive in a world overrun with vampires. Smith was still one of Hollywood's biggest stars at the time, so his name on the marquee went a long way.
I Am Legend got decent enough reviews, but its reception didn't really matter. The film grossed over $580 million against a budget of $150 million, so its profitability is diminished somewhat. However, there's no denying that the post-apocalyptic action horror movie had legs, and it remains the second highest-grossing horror movie since 2000 as well as the third highest-grossing of all time.
1 It (2017) - $719 Million
As promised, another It movie appears on the list. This time it takes the dual top spot as both the highest-grossing horror film since 2000 and of all time. This adaptation is set in the 1980s, and follows a band of loveable losers as they fight a strange monster in their sleepy town. The Stephen King movie was released at exactly the right time to capture the world's attention.
With a worldwide box office take of $719 million, It is the closest a horror film has come to grossing $1 billion. The duology combines for well over a billion, but the vast majority comes from the first installment. The film was made for about $40 million, meaning the 2017 horror release was also extremely profitable. Even with other costs factored in, It easily netted more than $500 million.