Horror at the Box Office: Scream 7 Slays the Competition
Proving that Ghostface is as popular as ever, Scream 7 steamrolled the box office with a franchise record high opening weekend. The film earned an estimated $64 million, blowing away expectations and easily surpassing Scream VI‘s already impressive $44 million opening in 2023.
Scream 7 has already made over $97 million worldwide. It cost Paramount $45 million to produce. Those costs don’t count marketing and distribution, but Ghostface’s latest rampage is still on pace to make a sizable theatrical profit.
Paramount is understandably rejoicing, but all may not be well in Scream-land going forward. Most reviewers, including me, were unimpressed with the film.
Slasher movies are notorious for suffering huge week 2 drops, and that’s even more true when they receive a largely negative reception. Scream 7‘s long term viability in theaters is in serious question.
That said, the film is already an unqualified success in commercial terms. How long until Scream 8 ramps up production? Can we get Radio Silence, Melissa Barrera, and Jenna Ortega back? Please? Pretty please?
For those keeping track, this makes two 2026 horror films that have become weekend box office champions. Send Help is the other. Speaking of Send Help, it dropped a surprisingly low 35% this weekend, considering the competition. The film grossed $2.8 million for a domestic total of approximately $60 million. It’s earned $87 million worldwide.
That’s it for horror movies in the top ten. Dracula landed in 13th place and grossed about half a million, upping its total to around $12.5 million. Psycho Killer sank like a rock into 18th place, dropping an embarrassing 81% and earning an estimated $300K for a total gross of approximately $2.3 million.
Up Next
Scream 7 is virtually guaranteed to be highest grossing genre film next weekend, even if it sustains a major drop. But we do have one horror flick coming out this Friday – The Bride! with Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley.
This seems more like a dark romance than a traditional horror flick. Perhaps it will appeal to the audience that made Nosferatu a hit in 2024.
