These Horror Movie Remakes Made Serious Bank

Hollywood loves horror movies. Why? Well, for starters, scary movies can usually be produced on a pretty cheap dime... because how much does a bucket of fake blood really cost, anyway? And, as some of the longest-running horror movie franchises have proven, audiences are willing to show-up for sequel after sequel, as long as they're done right. But there are some horror film properties and characters that just refuse to die. Horror movie remakes manage to find clever ways to frighten new generations of fans with the same spooky premises. From the original Universal monsters to the slashers of the '70s and '80s, the timeless appeal of these terrifying characters have made these the highest-grossing horror movie remakes of all time.

Worldwide Box Office: $107.3 million

The remake of the 1974 horror classic, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, saw Jessica Biel running from the chainsaw-wielding maniac known as Leatherface. The slasher flick fared so well at the box office (and carried such a minimal budget) that it arguably kicked-off the horror remake boom of the 2000s. Redux's of other horror slashers, including Prom Night, Halloween, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, When a Stranger Calls, Black Christmas, and many more, soon followed in Chainsaw's gory footsteps.

Worldwide Box Office: $107.5 million

The haunted house spook-fest, starring Ryan Reynolds and Chloe Grace Moretz, is based on a supposed true story. The film is a remake of 1979's The Amityville Horror, which sparked a legacy of sequels and knock-offs. To date, there are dozens of Amityville films that cashed in on the infamous property.

Worldwide Box Office: $113.1 million

The remake of 1989's Pet Sematary, which is based on the story by Stephen King, used five different cats to play the role of the family feline. Some of the cats were used in the friendlier scenes, while one cat, in particular, was used to portray the more menacing (un)dead version of the feline character.

Worldwide Box Office: $112 million

The re-imagining of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel proved to be quite alive at the global box office. The film, which starred Robert DiNiro as Frankenstein's monster, earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Makeup.

Worldwide Box Office: $115.6 million

The iconic serial killer Freddy Krueger has been invading audience's nightmares since the first film was released in 1984. Since then, there have been eight sequels, a television series, and a remake in 2010. British actor Robert Englund has portrayed the villainous role in every outing – save for the 2010 remake, in which Krueger was played by Academy Award nominee Jackie Earle Haley.

Worldwide Box Office: $119.9 million

What do you get when you have a horror movie remake that stars a creepy kid? One thing: cha-ching! The redux of the 1976 supernatural flick, The Omen, stars Julia Stiles and Liev Schreiber. In order to stir up publicity for the film, the satanic supernatural thriller was released on 06/6/06.

Worldwide Box Office: $130.9 million

The most recent entry to nab a spot on the list is also one of the best reviewed. The big-screen retelling of The Invisible Man, starring Elisabeth Moss, holds a stellar 91% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a difficult feat for horror flicks.

Worldwide Box Office: $139.7 million

Not every film on this list is a success story. Yes, the 2010 remake of the classic 1941 Universal monster movie, starring Emily Blunt and Benicio del Toro, cleaned up at the box office, but it didn't manage to make back its massive $150 million budget.

Worldwide Box Office: $177.3 million

Shirley Jackson's 1959 gothic novel The Haunting of Hill House has received several screen adaptations throughout the years, including a 1963 film and a Netflix series in 2018. But a big screen redux, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, Owen Wilson, and Liam Neeson, came in the form of 1999's The Haunting.

Worldwide Box Office: $187.2 million

The supernatural thriller starring Sarah Michelle Gellar opened to a staggering $39 million – which up until 2009's Friday the 13th was the largest opening weekend for a horror remake. The film was followed by two sequels and a 2020 reboot. But the original Japanese version, titled Ju-On, has seven sequels (!) and a Netflix series.

Worldwide Box Office: $190.2 million

The Kevin Bacon redux of the classic Universal monster, The Invisible Man, took many creative liberties, including releasing under a different title. Guy Pearce and Edward Norton were also considered for the lead role that eventually went to Bacon.

Worldwide Box Office: $215.8 million

The gothic horror film, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, stars Gary Oldman as the titular bloodsucker. Since the original release of Bram Stroker's Dracula novel in 1897, there have been dozens of reincarnations of the iconic horror character. Another one is reportedly on the way from the very studio that remade The Invisible Man in 2020.

Worldwide Box Office: $249.3 million

The American remake of the 1998 Japanese horror film Ring not only kicked-off a stateside trilogy, but it also sparked an entire "J-horror" movement in the U.S. Following the success of the supernatural film, a slew of English-language remakes of Asian horror films flooded the marketplace. Titles include: The Grudge, Pulse, The Eye, Mirrors, One Missed Call, The Uninvited, and Dark Water.

Worldwide Box Office: $701.7 million

The first chapter of the menacing clown saga is not only the highest-grossing horror movie remake, but it is also the highest-grossing horror movie in history. The 2017 film and the 2019 sequel are a retelling of the It miniseries from 1990, which is based on the novel by Stephen King. In total, the It big-screen ventures have scared up a combined $1.1 billion.