Why Genre Wins

By The Numbers

Genre Film Is the Smartest Bet in Hollywood.

Horror, sci-fi, and thriller consistently outperform every other genre in return on investment — and they're only growing.

173%

Average ROI

Horror films average a 173% return on investment — the highest of any genre in Hollywood

$1 → $50

Paranormal Activity

Made for $15,000. Earned $193M worldwide. The math speaks for itself.

Highest ROI Genre

Horror ranks #1 in return on investment across all major Hollywood genres

1 in 2

Horror Films Profit

Over half of all horror films released theatrically turn a profit — vs. only 1 in 3 dramas

Horror

The Genre That Prints Money

Get Out — Budget vs. Gross

$4.5M → $255M

IT (2017) — Budget vs. Gross

$35M → $697M

Insidious — Budget vs. Gross

$1.5M → $99M

Saw — Budget vs. Gross

$1.2M → $103M

A bad horror film still makes money. A great one can redefine a career.

Sci-Fi

Where Oscars Meet Box Office

Everything Everywhere — Oscars

7 Wins incl. Best Picture

The Shape of Water — Oscars

4 Wins incl. Best Picture

Oppenheimer — Budget vs. Gross

$100M → $950M+

Alien: Romulus — Budget vs. Gross

$80M → $350M+

Sci-fi has won Best Picture back-to-back. The Academy is paying attention.

Thriller

Audience Hunger at an All-Time High

Longlegs — Highest-Grossing Neon Film Ever

Beat Parasite

Talk to Me — Budget vs. Gross

$4.5M → $92M

Final Destination: Bloodlines — Opening Weekend

$100M+ WW

Midsommar — Budget vs. Gross

$9M → $29M + cult status

Thriller audiences are passionate, loyal, and growing on every platform.

“Horror outperforms every other genre in return on investment — and it doesn’t take a blockbuster budget to convincingly scare people.”

Paul Dergarabedian, Senior Media Analyst — Comscore

Sources: StatsIgnificant, American Film Market, Variety, Box Office Mojo, The Numbers, Deadline