Nosferatu box office draws blood in big year for horror

Nosferatu, a remake of a German Expressionist vampire movie from 1922 packed with period costumes and grisly murder, does not scream “Christmas Day release.” (I would say it screams more “MY NECK! MY NECK! WHAT HAVE YE DONE DEMON!? BE GONE!”)

Yet here we are, writer-director Robert Eggers’ blood-gushing, decidedly unelevated horror romp popping at the U.S. box office over the holiday weekend. Despite competition from all-ages behemoths like Sonic 3 and Mufasa: The Lion King, Nosferatu managed to gross $40.3 million over five days, opening on Christmas Day and carrying through the weekend. A report by Deadline suggests that every type of sicko, young and old, showed up to see Bill Skarsgård give one of the silliest/scariest performances of the year as the thirsty Count Orlok.

Though the highs were not as high as in previous years, 2024 stands out as a major year for horror, where smaller studios hit big and a broader swath of releases performed above expectations. Nosferatu is among them. It’s a big win for Eggers, who has climbed up from indies like The Witch and The Lighthouse and found a bankable mode for his academic sensibilities, but also Focus Features, which has continued to release grown-up indie movies in a range of flavors in the face of changing industry tides. Nosferatu is the studio’s fourth biggest opening weekend ever.

After one weekend, Nosferatu sits at number six on the year’s overall horror box-office performance ranking. Here’s the top 20, based on reporting available at the time of publication:

1. A Quiet Place: Day One ($138.9 million)

2. Alien: Romulus ($105.3 million)

3. Longlegs ($74.3 million)

4. Smile 2 ($68.9 million)

5. Terrifier 3 ($53.9 million)

6. Nosferatu ($40.3 million)

7. Speak No Evil ($36.9 million)

8. The Stranger: Chapter 1 ($35.2 million)

9. Night Swim ($32.4 million)

10. Imaginary ($28 million)

11. Heretic ($27.7 million)

12. Abigail ($25.8 million)

13. The First Omen ($20 million)

14. The Watchers ($19 million)

15. Tarot ($18.7 million)

16. The Substance ($16.4 million)

17. Immaculate ($15.6 million)

19. MaXXXine ($15 million)

19. Never Let Go ($10.3 million)

20. Late Night with the Devil ($10 million)

Compared to 2023, where only the top 14 films crossed $10 million, this year’s list looks like a win for horror fans that hope there’s a business-friendly demand for their shit. There was room for blockbuster-y hits (A Quiet Place, Alien), serving-the-fans sequels (Terrifier 3, The First Omen), and “unsellable” indie breakouts (Longlegs, the Substance, Late Night with the Devil). When streaming-focused companies like Mubi and IFC/Shudder are making money with theatrical runs, that’s a sign that not all of the theatrical business might be losing steam. Hovering just below that are films like Cuckoo, I Saw the TV Glow, and In a Violent Nature, all tiny Indies that miraculous banked $4-$6 million despite being destined for streamer cult status.

Nosferatu’s run is just getting started, but if it continues, Eggers should be in a position to do whatever goth weirdo experiment he wants to do next. And if it’s a new spin on Labyrinth with the Jim Henson Company, well, that’s cred well spent.