From Halloween To Obsession: Horror Films That Delivered Over 100x Returns At The Box Office

From Halloween to Paranormal Activity and Obsession, check out which horror films so far have earned more than 100 times their production budgets.

- May 27, 2026 | 6:33 PM IST

Horror Films Box Office from Halloween To Obsession (Photo Credit: Prime Video/Instagram)

Horror is a genre that has long fascinated cinephiles worldwide for its ability to transport viewers to a completely different world. From iconic films like The Exorcist, The Shining, and Rosemary’s Baby to modern classics like The Conjuring, Get Out, and Weapons, these films also performed well at the box office.

However, only a handful of horror titles have crossed the rare milestone of earning over 100 times their budgets. On that note, let’s take a look at the horror films so far that have delivered over 100x returns on their budgets and which one has topped this box office metric.

Horror Films That Earned Over 100x Their Budgets

Let’s take a look at which horror films have earned over 100 times their budgets, along with their worldwide earnings and estimated budgets according to Box Office Mojo.

1. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Worldwide Total: $30.1 million
Budget: $114,000

2. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Worldwide Total: $30.9 million
Budget: $140,000

3. Halloween (1978)

Worldwide Total: $47.2 million
Budget: $325,000

4. The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Worldwide Total: $248.6 million
Budget: $60,000

5. Paranormal Activity (2007)

Worldwide Total: $193.4 million
Budget: $15,000

6. The Devil Inside (2012)

Worldwide Total: $101.8 million
Budget: $1 million

7. Obsession (2026)

Worldwide Total: $84.6 million
Budget: $750,000

Earnings-to-Budget Performance (Approximate)

Paranormal Activity: 12,893x
The Blair Witch Project: 4,143x
Night of the Living Dead: 264x
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: 221x
Halloween: 145x
Obsession: 113x
The Devil Inside: 102x

What The Above Numbers Indicate

The above figures and calculations suggest that the clear winner in terms of earnings-to-budget performance is the 2007 found-footage horror film, Paranormal Activity, which earned an astonishing 12,893x its budget, followed by another found-footage film, The Blair Witch Project (4,143x). Interestingly, Curry Barker’s 2026 film Obsession, which is currently playing in theaters, has also secured a place in this list and has earned around 113x so far over its budget.

What’s Paranormal Activity All About?

Directed by Oren Peli, the found-footage supernatural horror movie’s plot centers on a couple who become targets of a dangerous supernatural entity in their home. So, the couple decides to record their spooky experiences using cameras, and that’s when the real terror begins.