In the third act of this past July’s I Know What You Did Last Summer, Julie and Ray—Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. reprising their roles in the original ’90s horror film of the same title—have a conversation that really stuck out. “It’s 1997 all over again…isn’t that nostalgic?” Ray proclaims. Julie responds, scoffing, “Nostalgia is overrated. Who cares if they tried to erase us, Ray? You have to let it go.” Long-standing Southport residents attempted to cover up the original massacre nearly 30 years ago, believing it would hurt tourism. But this exchange is a loaded one, going much further than the events the franchise is built upon. It speaks to the ongoing reboot trend that’s permeated much of horror for the past decade, and seems to address the imminent popping of that bubble.
I Know What You Did Last Summer made just $13 million domestically in its opening weekend—far short of the $20 million estimate—and ultimately grossed $32 million in the US. The 1997 original, on the other hand, opened with $15.8 million and eventually grossed $72.5 million, which, adjusted for inflation, would be $31 million and $145 million, respectively. That’s a far cry from this year’s gross. “Nostalgia just wasn’t as high for this series as Sony expected,” observed Fangoria.
To gain a clearer picture of the last 10 years of reboots, it’s necessary to examine several other well-known IPs that have returned to theaters. In 2018, David Gordon Green resurrected Halloween, earning a total global gross of $255.4 million. Subsequent sequels Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends grossed $130.8 million and $105.4 million globally, respectively. Given the 11 other films in the franchise, it may be an anomaly in the sea of horror reboots, but when you consider several other horror reboot releases in 2022 alone, it could be the peak period. For example, Scream snagged $138.8 million globally, with its follow-up sequel, 2023’s Scream VI, grabbing $169.1 million. Meanwhile, relegated to Netflix, Texas Chainsaw Massacre reportedly landed at #2 on the global charts—seemingly successful enough to warrant a sequel. These much-bigger franchise IPs may be the exception, not the rule.
2024 saw a mixed bag. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice grossed $452 million globally, while a special exception could be made for a sequel to an ongoing franchise: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire pulled in $199.9 million. Conversely, the opening entry in The Strangers reboot trilogy, Chapter 1, grossed a measly $47.4 million. Despite both the 2008 original and the 2018 sequel being critical and general public darlings, it seems very few horror fans were interested in returning to that well.
In 2025, we’ve already gotten a reboot of Wolf Man, The Strangers: Chapter 2, and several sequels to ongoing franchises—Final Destination: Bloodlines, The Conjuring: Last Rites, 28 Years Later, V/H/S/Halloween—with plenty more still in the pipeline: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence, a new installment in the horror-parody franchise that launched in 1978; a remake of 1984’s Silent Night, Deadly Night; and the initial sequels to recent titles Five Nights at Freddy’s and The Black Phone. While Wolf Man showed meager returns (only $34 million in global gross), it’s yet to be seen whether The Strangers: Chapter 2 will plummet, or if Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence will generate any public interest.
We’re on the cusp of the current reboot trend giving way to a new era for horror and adjacent subgenres. Body horror, for example, is already trending upward.
On the other hand, the general public seems ravenous for original horror films this year. Ryan Coogler’s juggernaut Sinners—not only an original concept, but a movie that marks a significant cultural shift for the genre—grossed a whopping $365.8 million. “For decades, we’ll look back at this moment and remember how filmmaking in general shifted on its axis,” I wrote earlier this year upon the film making box office history. “Ryan Coogler, whose name carries great weight in Hollywood for his work on the Black Panther films and Creed, took a chance and created what is arguably one of the biggest breakthroughs in horror history.”
Zach Cregger’s Weapons, likewise, proves to be a box office smash already. By the end of its first month in theaters, the film had grossed a mighty $199.9 million. Strong reviews (93 percent on the Tomatometer and 85 percent on the Popcornmeter) and word of mouth have served the film quite well. More recently, The Long Walk (based on a 1979 novel by Stephen King), HIM, Good Boy, and Chris Stuckmann’s Shelby Oaks have generated plenty of buzz online. Despite its all-original premise and pulling in 20 million views on its trailer, HIM failed to meet the $15-20 million opening week projections, yet still earned $13.8 million for a #2 bow in box office receipts.
Horror movies—particularly original ideas—continue to be Hollywood’s bread and butter, and although the remake/reboot locomotive continues to chug along—a sequel to an ongoing franchise, Scream VII is set for release in 2026—the bubble is certainly ready to pop. Even Jason Voorhees’ long-awaited return in the short film (and/or Angry Orchard commercial) Sweet Revenge is only now hitting 277,000 views on YouTube in nearly two months since release and averages 2.5 stars on Letterboxd. The so-called “vignette” will serve as the centerpiece for the franchise’s 45th anniversary this year. While a low-key return for one of horror’s biggest villains, it doesn’t appear to be generating much buzz online—aside from mediocre reviews.
We’re on the cusp of the current reboot trend giving way to a new era for horror and adjacent subgenres. Body horror, for example, is already trending upward thanks to the likes of The Substance (and its five Oscar nominations, including a win for Best Makeup and Hairstyling), in addition to other essentials like Together, Titane, Possessor, Men, and Infinity Pool. As defining films of 2025, Weapons and Sinners show early signs of eventually becoming classics (from ongoing online conversation to their hefty box office haul), particularly for their graphic nature in popular theatrical releases.
The horror genre always ebbs and flows, particularly when it comes to the recent/ongoing slasher renaissance, which appears to be on the way out. Sinners and Weapons could signal a massive shift in the kinds of horror released in the near future, perhaps including vampires. As it pertains to reboots, as evidenced by The Strangers: Chapter 1, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Sweet Revenge, the general public likely has reached its limit. Only time will tell to confirm or deny that the bubble is on the verge of popping. Maybe the forthcoming prequel Crystal Lake TV series for Peacock, focused on Pamela Voorhees and a young Jason, could revive the era. Who knows! FL
