‘Nosferatu’ Sets an Important 2024 Horror Record

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The 2024 adaptation of the classic 1922 film “Nosferatu,” directed by Robert Eggers, has achieved a significant milestone in the box office. Released on Christmas Day, 2024, the vampire movie has generated over $135 million and outperformed major releases such as “Longlegs” and “The Substance,” earning it the title of the highest-grossing horror film of the year that wasn’t a prequel or sequel. Despite being a remake, it remains to be seen whether audiences have shown a preference for originality, although it is a remake of a century-old movie (excluding Werner Herzog’s 1979 version).

As a movie enthusiast, I hold the 1922 version of Bram Stoker’s vampire masterpiece, Nosferatu, in high regard, esteemed as one of the greatest horror movies ever made. In 2024, director Eggers, who has been captivated by the idea of a fresh adaptation since his early days in Hollywood and films like The Witch, brought us his vision of Nosferatu. Although this is his only take on an existing intellectual property, it doesn’t diminish its originality. To my delight, it currently boasts an 85% score on Rotten Tomatoes and the coveted Certified Fresh label, a rarity for horror films.

The movie “Nosferatu” has performed well enough to take the honor of being 2024’s top-grossing horror film that isn’t a sequel or prequel. As reported by Screen Rant, this title was previously held by “Longlegs,” Osgood Perkins’ horror film starring Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe, which was distributed by NEON and earned $127 million at the box office with a production budget under $10 million. In contrast, Eggers’ film had a significantly higher budget of approximately $50 million, likely due to expenses such as paying high-profile actors and shooting in expensive locations.

2024 saw several notable original horror films that made a splash at the box office, such as:
– Exhuma, which earned $93.9 million to become the highest-grossing film of 2024 in South Korea.
– Trap, with a gross of $82.7 million.
– The Substance, earning $79 million.
– Speak No Evil, although it’s a remake, managed to pull in $76.8 million. However, it might not be entirely considered an “original” horror film due to its remake status.
– Night Swim garnered $54.8 million.
– Lastly, Heretic brought in $51.9 million.

2024 Had Its Fair Share of Horror Bangers

2023 was marked by outstanding horror films being unveiled, demonstrating the genre’s value amidst intricate distribution plans and the growing influence of streaming platforms on lesser-known productions. While a cinematic premiere is often preferred, 2024 showed that a digital release near to theatrical can actually boost a movie’s success. In the realm of streaming services, horror movies stand an equal chance at thriving.

2024 saw Alien: Romulus as the top-grossing horror movie of the year, raking in over $350 million. Close behind was A Quiet Place: Day One, with earnings of $261 million, followed by Smile 2 with $138 million. It’s likely that Nosferatu will take the third spot, needing to earn less than $3 million to do so. Some might argue that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, if included, could be the highest-grossing horror film of 2024, given its impressive earnings of over $451 million. This film is a legacy sequel by Tim Burton.

This finding suggests that horror remains a lucrative genre, just as it has been in the past. Established franchises and well-known properties continue to be reliable for success, but unexpected indie productions can also generate significant box office revenue. Interestingly, this indicates that a substantial budget is not necessarily required to yield millions; instead, effective marketing seems to be the key. For example, the gruesome and grotesque movie “Terrifier 3” managed to earn nearly $90 million with a production budget of only $2 million.

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2025-01-13 15:36