The Big Picture
The 2018 version of
Halloween
, directed by David Gordon Green, is the highest-grossing slasher movie of all time, surpassing the classics.
The movie focuses on continuing the storyline from the original 1978
Halloween
, disregarding the previous versions by Rob Zombie.
Halloween
(2018) made $259 million at the global box office, with a significant lead over the second-place film,
Scream
(1996).
In a horror world full of chainsaws, knives for fingers, and iconic masks, there’s one psycho killer that stands above all the others at the box office. Coveted slasher fans might expect it to be a classic, and it sort of is, but maybe not how you would expect. The highest-grossing slasher movie goes to Halloween, specifically, the 2018 version directed by David Gordon Green. This may come as a shock to some considering the classics get so much love, but this reboot of the franchise garnered a lot of draw from fans.
Halloween (2018)
Laurie Strode confronts her long-time foe, Michael Myers, the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago.
Release Date October 18, 2018
Director David Gordon Green
Runtime 109
Main Genre Horror
Writers David Gordon Green , Danny McBride , Jeff Fradley , John Carpenter , Debra Hill
Studio Platinum Dunes
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‘Halloween’ (2018) Is the Highest-Grossing Slasher Movie of All Time
The 2018 Halloween focuses more on continuing the storyline from the original Halloween from 1978. After Rob Zombie took over the franchise with his 2002 and 2009 versions of Halloween, the franchise went silent. Maybe it was due to the change in direction away from Laurie and Michael’s lore, or maybe fans just didn’t enjoy the uptake in violence for the Zombie films. Either way, when it was announced that Jamie Lee Curtis was reprising her role as Laurie Strode, the internet and horror community erupted with excitement. There was some confusion as to how Curtis would return when her character appeared to have died in Halloween: Resurrection, but as mentioned previously, Green’s version of Halloween is on a different timeline and only follows the story post-1978 Halloween. If you’re confused, you can check the timelines for the franchise here.
Related The Chilling Horror Classic on Max That Influenced Everything From ‘Halloween’ to Arthouse Cinema
The Michael Myers mask makes total sense now.
Halloween takes place 40 years after Laurie survived a traumatic attack by Michael Myers in her quaint hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois. Myers has been trapped in a mental institution, but in true boogeyman fashion, he finds a way to break out and return to Haddonfield. He’s there for blood and to seek out the one that got away, Laurie. Unbeknownst to him, Laurie is ready for him, Terminator-style! She has spent her life prepping herself and her daughter for the possibility of him coming back someday. She has made her home into a doomsday bunker full of booby traps, hidden weapons, and explosives. Her daughter and granddaughter don’t understand, but when they find out that Michael is back, they are grateful for Laurie’s over-the-top preparation.
How Much Did 2018’s ‘Halloween’ Make at the Worldwide Box Office?
Halloween (2018) has amassed a whopping $259 million at the global box office. This puts it as the highest-grossing slasher of all time with a staggering $86 million lead over the second-place film, Scream (1996). In fact, a good chunk of the top ten highest-grossing slashers of all time belongs to the Scream franchise. The original came in second, Scream 2 in third, Scream 3 in fourth, and Scream VI in fifth. Despite how loved that franchise is, Halloween proves that horror fans love the bogeyman and the ultimate final girl, Laurie Strode. If we look at the Halloween franchise as a whole, the second highest-grossing film in the franchise is Halloween Kills at $133 million. The lowest-performing movie in the series at the global box office was Halloween 5: Revenge of Michael Myers with $11 million.
How Much Did ‘Halloween’ (2018) Cost To Make?
Halloween (2018) started with a $10 million budget that far exceeded the original Halloween budget, which was a mere $325,000. Inflation makes that gap seem quite large, but Green’s version of Halloween was actually cheaper to make than Rob Zombie’s version, which had a $15 million budget. The budget for the film seems modest in comparison to how much revenue it brought in. The success of the reboot was reason enough for Blumhouse to pump out two more sequels in this timeline, which consisted of Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends. Although Green’s timeline of the franchise is over after Halloween Ends, fans have speculated that there could be a new timeline made for the franchise. The boogeyman never dies, so how can we be expected to believe that Halloween Ends means there is an end?!
The Horror Franchise Has Seen a Significant Resurgence in Popularity
Image via IFC
Halloween’s success is part of horror’s resurgence in recent years. This renewed popularity has seen many beloved franchises return to the big screen. While the Scream franchise has been met with success, others like The Exorcist have struggled to find new ground. Even with the return of these beloved franchises, genre fans are still showing up in droves to support the new projects. Movies like Immaculate, The First Omen, Late Night the Devil have impressed audiences significantly. While many of these fall under the umbrella term of horror and may not be recognized as slashers. The growing popularity of the horror genre allows renewed interest in the slasher sub-genre. After all, who doesn’t love a good jumpscare?
Even with new entries in the genre, a classic is always a classic, and it’s never a bad idea for horror fans to start revisiting all 13 movies in the Halloween franchise! If you’re looking to watch any of the movies in the franchise, you can stream almost all of them on Prime Video. Just don’t be so distracted watching them that you don’t see the shape lurking along your clothesline…
Halloween is currently available to rent or buy on Prime Video in the U.S.
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEO