Scream 7 Drives Horror Q1 Revenue, Indie Hits Surprise
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- Scream 7 earned $118.9 million domestically and $85.4 million internationally, accounting for over a third of horror’s total Q1 box‑office haul and setting a new franchise record at Paramount.
- 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple grossed $25.1 million domestically and $33.2 million internationally, falling short of its $63 million production budget (pre‑marketing) and illustrating the financial risk of high‑budget auteur horror.
- Iron Lung pulled in nearly $50 million worldwide, out‑performing several traditional studio releases and showing the commercial potential of internet‑native horror projects.
- Median horror film grossed about $7 million, indicating that most releases barely registered with consumers despite wide theatrical releases.
- Sam Zimmerman left Shudder for Blumhouse, signaling a possible shift in the development pipeline for indie horror titles.
- Send Help earned $94 million total, making it the second‑largest horror earner after Scream 7 and underscoring the continued draw of established directors.
Why it matters: Studios that own blockbuster horror IPs, such as Paramount with Scream 7, capture a disproportionate share of Q1 revenue, while mid‑budget titles and many wide releases struggle to break $7 million, raising concerns about their viability. Conversely, internet‑native creators like Markiplier prove that low‑budget, creator‑driven projects can still draw sizable audiences.
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