At the center of the series was the iconic Freddy Krueger, a former child killer who stalks teenagers in their dreams and kills them to seek revenge on their parents, who had burned him alive. The late, great Wes Craven was the brains behind this franchise that spawned nine films, a television series, novels and comic books.
A TV adaptation airs on MTV but featured different characters and new storylines unconnected to the films. Highest-grossing entry: Scream (1996) – $189.2 millionĬreated by Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven, the first film was released in 2006 – the four film series went on to gross over $600 million worldwide. Expect more films from the franchise in the next few years and watch the box office tally climb. Aside from the core Conjuring franchise films, there has already been the successful spin-off Annabelle movie with a sequel due to hit theaters in 2017 as well as The Nun, a spin-off from a character in The Conjuring 2, being in the works. The Conjuring films have, in just a few years, found a place in the heart of horror fans. Highest-grossing entry: The Conjuring (2013) – $137.4 million A fresh Halloween film is currently in the works involving director John Carpenter and Blumhouse Productions.Ī scene from 'The Conjuring 2' which introduced audiences to 'The Nun' (Credit: Warner Bros) Rob Zombie rebooted the Halloween franchise in 2007 and while not loved by critics, it became the series’ best performer at the box office. The films collectively grossed over $366 million at the box-office worldwide. Myers is committed to a sanitarium as a child for the murder of his older sister but escapes 15 years later to stalk and kill the people of Haddonfield, Illinois. The franchise predominately focuses on the fictional character of Michael Myers who has become a horror icon. Highest-grossing entry: Halloween (2007) – $168.5 million
A TV show inspired by the films is currently airing on the FOX network. While the first film in the series is widely regarded as one of the best films and the best horror film of all time, the following entries have received very mixed reviews. The films have grossed over $661 million at the worldwide box office. Highest-grossing entry: The Exorcist (1973) – $865.9 million The idea came from an unproduced spec script originally meant for The X-Files TV series. They escape the accident for real but are later killed in a series of bizarre accidents. Highest grossing entry: The Final Destination (2009) – $66.4 millionĪll five films center on a character that has a premonition of a terrible accident that will kill numerous people.
Starring Milla Jovovich as the main protagonist, Alice, the Resident Evil films are to date, the only video game adaptations to increase the amount of money made with each successive film. Inspired by the video games, this is another franchise derided by critics but loved by fans. Highest-grossing entry: Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010) – $69.2 million