Nosferatu, Robert Eggers’ outstanding modern adaptation of the 1922 classic by F.W. Murnau, has reached a major milestone in the performance metrics of 2024. Recently released on Christmas Day, 2024, the vampire movie has made more than $135 million at the box office and has sailed past major releases like Longlegs and The Substance, making it the highest-grossing horror movie of the year that wasn’t a prequel or a sequel. Sure, it’s still a remake, so it’s too soon to say that audiences have embraced originality, though it’s a remake of a century-old film (not counting Werner Herzog’s 1979 version).
1922’s loose adaptation of Bram Stoker’s vampire classic Dracula (reworked for legal reasons at the time), Nosferatu has long been esteemed as one of the greatest horror films of all time. 2024’s remake was a passion project for Eggers, whose idea for a new adaptation had been brewing in his mind since he began making Hollywood movies like The Witch. Nosferatu has been his only take on a pre-existing IP, but it doesn’t mean it’s less original than it should be. By the time of writing, it holds an 85% score on Rotten Tomatoes and has the valuable label Certified Fresh, one that’s not often given to horror films.
Nosferatu’s run at the box office has been good enough for the film to claim the title of 2024’s highest-grossing non-sequel, non-prequel horror movie. Per the report by Screen Rant, the title was previously in the hands of Longlegs, Osgood Perkins’ serial killer horror film starring Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe. The film, distributed by NEON, made $127 million at the box office from a production budget that didn’t reach $10 million. Eggers’ film was much more expensive, as the production budget was reported at a whopping $50 million (much of it was probably spent on paying high-profile actors and shooting locations).
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Other original horror films that were prominent box office-wise in 2024 include Exhuma ($93.9 million, the highest-grossing movie of 2024 in South Korea), Trap ($82.7 million), The Substance ($79 million), Speak No Evil ($76.8 million, but it’s a remake, so perhaps it doesn’t entirely fit the category of “original horror”), Night Swim ($54.8 million), and Heretic ($51.9 million).
2024 Had Its Fair Share of Horror Bangers
Last year saw the release of excellent horror films that once again proved the worth of the genre in an era of complicated release schedules and where streaming platforms each day become more important for lesser-known movies. The preference is, of course, a theatrical release, but 2024 also proved that a digital release close to theatrical helps a film grow. In the land of streaming, the odds are all the same for horror movies.
The most successful horror film of the year was Alien: Romulus, making well over $350 million. A Quiet Place: Day One follows with $261 million, and Smile 2 follows with $138 million. The odds that Nosferatu will win over the horror sequel by Parker Finn are high, as it only has to make less than $3 million to sit in third spot. One could argue that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice should also be in the race, and if we decide to include it, the legacy sequel would be the highest-grossing horror film of 2024. The Tim Burton film made more than $451 million.
What does this prove? It proves that horror is still the profitable genre it has always been. While franchises and existing IP are still surefire ways to success, the occasional indie can certainly blow up the box office, proving that you don’t need a massive budget to make millions. You only need good marketing. Even something as gory and disgusting as Terrifier 3 can make almost $90 million from a $2 million production budget.
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Nosferatu is a remake of the 1922 silent film of the same name from director F. W. Murnau. Robert Eggers is crafting his own version of the story for the reboot as writer and director, with Bill Skarsgård stepping into the shoes of Count Orlok. Nosferatu tells the tale of a young woman who falls victim to a vampire utterly infatuated with her.
Release Date
December 25, 2024
Runtime
132 Minutes
Studio(s)
Regency Enterprises
, 1492 Pictures
Distributor(s)
Focus Features
, Universal Pictures
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