The Horror Genre Continues To Be Hollywood's Sweet Spot
If marketed well, horror films are capable of bringing in huge profits.
It's Friday, June 20th. Here's what's happening.
🍿 The Big Picture
Sony Pictures' zombie flick 28 Years Later grabbed $5.8 million in Thursday previews, indicating that the movie may be poised for a big weekend. The horror feature boasts a tight script by Alex Garland and was smartly marketed by Sony.
Warner Bros.' Final Destination: Bloodlines also surprised to the upside, racking up almost $133 million so far. If this genre continues to outperform, we believe studios will take note. Horror films are considered cheaper to fund, easier to sell, and, if marketed well, capable of bringing in huge profits.
Cineverse's extremely profitable Terrifier series is a classic example. Wisely marketed through their own channels (the studio also owns the Bloody Disgusting website), they built buzz for the product and then delivered the gore that fans were hoping for. The studio has also acquired the Toxic Avenger reboot and just officially announced a January 23 release date for Return to Silent Hill.
The horror genre might not be for everyone (I prefer psychological horror myself), but the numbers don't lie: this is a genre that fans will continue to support, if the product is done well.
🎥 Extra Coverage
Here's a good look at all of the directors rumored to be in the running for the first James Bond movie from Amazon. (SlashFilm)
French television network TFI is partnering with Netflix. The plan is to stream all five of its channels on the streaming powerhouse. (Deadline)
Blumhouse has acquired Twisted Pictures rights to the horror franchise Saw. Lionsgate is still involved in assisting with production and distribution.(Empire)
📈 Movie Stock Index
Market Close: Friday, June 20th, 2025
Total Value: $105,576.40
Today's Change: -$930.45 (-0.87%)
Total Gain/Loss (Since 05/12/25): $5,576.38 (5.58%)
Another down day for the Movie Stock Index. You can definitely see a churn here as stocks tread water into the summer. Sony was the big loser today (-4.37%) and Paramount the winner (2.57%). Rumors are that Paramount could settle with President Trump soon on his 60 Minutes lawsuit, potentially unlocking their Skydance merger deal.
Disclaimer: The MovieNewsPro Stock Index is a virtual index - there are no actual funds invested. Sector index total value dollar amounts are based on an initial hypothetical investment of $100,000 on May 12th, 2025. We are not licensed investment advisors and our information should not be used as investment advice. Invest wisely.
🏆 Film Festivals
Bentonville Film Festival, US - June 16-22
Doc Edge Film Festival, New Zealand - June 18-July 31
Frameline San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, US - June 18-28
Oakville Film Festival, Canada - June 18-25
Raindance Film Festival, UK - June 18-27
Sheffield DocFest, UK - June 18-23
Nepal America International Film Festival, US - June 19-22
Brussels International Film Festival, Belgium - June 20-28
Kimolos International Film Festival, Greece - June 21-25
Mediterrane Film Festival, Malta - June 21-29
London Screenings, UK - June 23-25
Sunny Side Of The Doc, France - June 23-26
Biarritz Film Festival Nouvelles Vagues, France - June 24-29
Docs Ireland, Ireland - June 24-29
Palm Springs ShortFest, US - June 24-30
Nantucket Film Festival, US - June 25-30
Oak Cliff Film Festival, US - June 26-29
FilmFest Munich, Germany - June 27-July 6
📺 Watch This Tonight
Blade Runner (1982)
Directed by Ridley Scott
Art deco futuristic noir that looks... amazing.
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Disclaimer/Transparency
MovieNewsPro is a film industry news monitoring service. All stories have been previously reported elsewhere and are not exclusive stories to MNP. All information is believed to be accurate at the time of reporting. MovieNewsPro uses a full array of technology to gather information, including machine learning, automation and artificial intelligence throughout its business monitoring, editing and reporting process.
