{"id":7759,"date":"2019-05-24T15:00:36","date_gmt":"2019-05-24T22:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog-proxy.atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/?p=7759"},"modified":"2019-05-28T15:11:23","modified_gmt":"2019-05-28T22:11:23","slug":"summer-of-horror-why-so-many-studio-tentpole-horror-movies-are-hitting-our-screens-soon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/summer-2019-horror-movies\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer Of Horror: Why So Many Studio Tentpole Horror Movies Are Hitting Our Screens Soon"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sometimes, in my opinion, the best way to start writing is by contextualizing an article\u2019s prompt. Days ago, Atom Insider\u2019s Alisha\u00a0Grauso\u00a0counted a bountiful influx of horror titles overtaking this summer\u2019s blockbuster season. The conversational question arose: \u201cWhy are studios putting such an emphasis on horror in a non-traditional season?\u201d Where have all the tentpole comedies and action franchises gone? When did Annabelle and Chucky snatch the throne? And, again, most curiously: \u201cWhy is horror so popular this summer?\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The answer, logically, may not surprise you.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Horror Turns A Profit, Even On A Small Budget<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Horror cinema translates into\u00a0boo koo\u00a0box office buckos. No matter how many times you read some ill-begotten headline about how, say, the horror genre whimpered death cries until a movie like\u00a0<\/span>It: Chapter One<\/span><\/i>\u00a0came along, monetary grosses argue otherwise. Aside from launching into 5,000 words about how horror has never been dead (just evolving and adapting), the simplest answer here is that horror fairly consistently packs theaters without requiring hefty investments.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This summer, listing theatrical releases (wide or limited), there are twelve big-ticket screamers hitting screens. Two in May (<\/span>Ma<\/span><\/i>,\u00a0<\/span>Brightburn<\/span><\/i>), four in June (<\/span>The Dead Don\u2019t Die<\/span><\/i>,\u00a0<\/span>Child\u2019s Play<\/span><\/i>,\u00a0<\/span>Them That Follow<\/span><\/i>,\u00a0<\/span>Annabelle Comes Home<\/span><\/i>), three more in July (<\/span>Midsommar<\/span><\/i>,\u00a0<\/span>Crawl<\/span><\/i>,\u00a0<\/span>The Boy 2<\/span><\/i>), two in August (<\/span>47 Meters Down: Uncaged<\/span><\/i>,\u00a0<\/span>Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark<\/span><\/i>), and we\u2019ll count\u00a0<\/span>It: Chapter 2<\/span><\/i><\/a>\u00a0since it arrives a week after Labor Day. Granted, this tally doesn\u2019t acknowledge straight-to-VOD releases, which – being a horror faithful – I can assure you are plentiful.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Admittedly, twelve big-guns does seem like a mighty leap from 2018\u2019s six \u201cnoteworthy\u201d summertime horror releases. Jason Statham battled a prehistoric shark in\u00a0<\/span>The Meg<\/span><\/i>,\u00a0<\/span>Slender Man<\/span><\/i>\u00a0hit the urban legend demographic,\u00a0<\/span>Hereditary\u00a0<\/span><\/i>stunned,\u00a0<\/span>The First Purge\u00a0<\/span><\/i>got loud and political, plus\u00a0<\/span>Upgrade\u00a0<\/span><\/i>went all\u00a0<\/span>Her\u00a0<\/span><\/i>meets\u00a0<\/span>John Wick\u00a0<\/span><\/i>while\u00a0<\/span>Unfriended: Dark Web<\/span><\/i>\u00a0cyberstalked victims.<\/span>\u00a0A slighter output, but let\u2019s evaluate the numbers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Meg<\/span><\/i>\u00a0caught\u00a0flack\u00a0from critics for being a bloated predator lacking in bite, but\u00a0<\/span>Jon\u00a0Turteltaub\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0aquatic event thriller grossed $145m domestic (another $385m international).\u00a0<\/span>The First Purge<\/span><\/i>\u00a0continued\u00a0Blumhouse\u2019s\u00a0tradition of making America violent again, grossing $137m worldwide on a $13m budget. A24\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>Hereditary<\/span><\/i>\u00a0opened to a stunning $13.5 million on nothing but grassroots indie campaigning.\u00a0<\/span>Ari Aster\u2019s lucrative\u00a0<\/span>success proved that audiences would turn up for horror films based on groundswell word of mouth alone. Toni Collette’s performance deserves every bit<\/em> of A24\u2019s milestone $79m worldwide.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Based on the above, horror\u2019s financial upside isn\u2019t to be understated – but what happens when a film \u201cfails?\u201d\u00a0<\/span>Slender Man<\/span><\/i>, an inarguable disaster from quality to marketing to buried fate, still grossed $52m worldwide on a $10m budget. Regarded by critics and viewers as chopped-up, studio-interfered garbage (and “<\/span>Crunchy Woodland Sound Effects: The Movie”\u00a0by me) Sony\u2019s critical misfire still turned a profit. BH Tilt hoped for similar returns on\u00a0<\/span>Upgrade<\/span><\/i>\u00a0($14m worldwide)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>and\u00a0<\/span>Unfriended: Dark Web\u00a0<\/span><\/i>($15m worldwide)<\/span>, but then again, their marketing efforts were not as far-reaching (or presumably expensive) as Sony\u2019s teenage-terror push. We know\u00a0Blumhouse\u00a0operates on tighter budgets, so what about their even less promoted BH Tilt offshoot? Coupled with streaming rentals and physical options, these kinds of numbers might be BH Tilt\u2019s aim.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet This Summer’s Horror Movies Aren’t Content With Small Returns<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

But a movie like Annabelle Comes Home<\/em><\/a><\/span>\u00a0isn\u2019t chasing a meager $15m. As part of James\u00a0Wan\u2019s\u00a0\u2018Conjurverse,\u201d Warner Brothers is hoping for box office numbers reflecting other spinoffs including\u00a0<\/span>Annabelle\u00a0<\/span><\/i>($257m worldwide),\u00a0<\/span>The Nun<\/span><\/i>\u00a0($366m worldwide), and most recently – not even marketed as a \u2018Conjurverse\u2019 entry –\u00a0<\/span>The Curse Of La Llorona<\/span><\/i>, which passed $100m. Why the dip for Michael Chaves\u2019 Mexican-influenced tale of an international\u00a0boogeywoman? Warner Brothers\u2019 odd decision to leave \u2018Conjurverse\u2019 ties unannounced, a lukewarm reception out of South by Southwest Film Festival, and eventual abandonment of hardcore marketing tactics. Good thing\u00a0<\/span>The Curse of La Llorona<\/span><\/i>\u00a0only required a $9m budget! Cash money!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While we\u2019re talking about SXSW, let\u2019s highlight all three major horror premieres.\u00a0<\/span>The Curse Of La Llorona<\/span><\/i>\u00a0clocks in at $118m worldwide, Paramount\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>Pet\u00a0Sematary<\/span><\/i>\u00a0remake so far notched $110m worldwide, and Jordan Peele\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>Us\u00a0<\/span><\/i>sits at $254m worldwide. It\u2019s no secret that studios are continually chasing box office records in terms of horror, whether it be\u00a0<\/span>The Conjuring<\/span><\/i>\u00a0or\u00a0<\/span>The Nun<\/span><\/i>\u00a0smashing existing franchise ceilings. Every producer craves that\u00a0<\/span>Get Out<\/span><\/i>\u00a0money ($255m worldwide), or that\u00a0<\/span>It\u00a0<\/span><\/i>money ($700m worldwide), or that\u00a0<\/span>A Quiet Place<\/span><\/i>\u00a0money ($341m worldwide). Maybe\u00a0<\/span>Pet\u00a0Sematary<\/span><\/i>\u2019s\u00a0$100m seems paltry in comparison, but that\u2019s on a $20m budget. Before VOD profits, streaming licenses, physical release – you catch my drift here.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Horror is a booming business rooted in faithful genre appreciators who show support with open wallets (just peek at horror convention prices these days). An easy route of pursuit when compared to other high-concept summer corpses, like\u00a0<\/span>The\u00a0Happytime\u00a0Murders,<\/span><\/i>\u00a0that wash up on the box office beach, only grossing $27m worldwide on a $40m budget. Or another 2018 box office dud, Johnny Knoxville\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>Action Point\u00a0<\/span><\/i>($5m gross vs. $19m budget). Comedies like\u00a0<\/span>Blockers\u00a0<\/span><\/i>($90m worldwide),\u00a0<\/span>Tag\u00a0<\/span><\/i>($78m worldwide), and\u00a0<\/span>Life Of The Party<\/span><\/i>\u00a0($65m worldwide) all tracked just fine with budgets in the $20m-$40m range, but none topped $100m plateaus. Horror, however, seems to be soaring past such hurdles. If you\u2019re a\u00a0bettin\u2019 man or woman, where do the odds point?<\/span>\u00a0(<\/span>Well, aside from superhero entities. We know\u00a0<\/span>Avengers: Endgame<\/span><\/i>\u00a0passed the $2 billion mark. There will be no horror vs. comic book adaptations debate here. America\u2019s Ass demands top dollar.)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Is There Such A Thing As Too Much Horror?<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Now, as 2019\u2019s \u201cpopcorn season\u201d revs its chainsaw engine, we\u2019re bombarded by multiple horror cinema options. A natural reaction based on historical productivity. Here\u2019s another question worth posing – will we get too much<\/em> tentpole studio horror at once?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As noted previously, there will be consecutive summer weeks in 2019 where new release horror films are available. Does the average moviegoer attend one film a week? One film every other week? One a month? Will horror fans without the pocket change or freedom be able to see every genre offering desired, or will they be forced to pick and choose between releases? These are real questions as theaters hike ticket and concession prices higher and higher. Choices may have to be made, resulting in passing on lesser-distributed indies like\u00a0<\/span>Them That Follow<\/span><\/i><\/a>\u00a0whereas other summer slates with less competition may have yielded more forgiving returns.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The reality is horror proves to be one of the most financially stable cinematic spaces as of now. Smaller budgets, maximized rewards. Many of your favorite filmmakers started in horror since it takes visionary creators to pull off victories worth $250m – but there are also the unarguable constants. Horror flicks are date movies. People love an adrenaline rush. Horror can always be counted on for a branded type of theater experience, and that\u2019s proven to be a bankable formula worth financier attention. I just hope, in a crowded summer with so many horror releases, the avalanche of offerings doesn\u2019t dilute earnings and cause an immediate panic that, once again, incorrectly pins horror six-feet-under.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

*All box office totals researched using Box Office Mojo and rounded up\/down.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sometimes, in my opinion, the best way to start writing is by contextualizing an article\u2019s prompt. Days ago, Atom Insider\u2019s Alisha\u00a0Grauso\u00a0counted a bountiful influx of horror titles overtaking this summer\u2019s blockbuster season. The conversational question arose: \u201cWhy are studios putting such an emphasis on horror in a non-traditional season?\u201d Where have all the tentpole comedies […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7867,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[50,58],"tags":[40,37],"class_list":["post-7759","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial","category-horror","tag-featuredpage","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7759","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7759"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7759\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7868,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7759\/revisions\/7868"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7867"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7759"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7759"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7759"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}