Passenger Box Office: Tracking A $7-10 Million Domestic Opening – How It Compares To 2026’s Top 5 Highest-Grossing Horror Films

Passenger is tracking to earn between $7 million and $10 million in its domestic opening weekend. Here’s how it compares to the top five highest-grossing horror films in North America in 2026.

- May 12, 2026 | 11:36 AM IST

Passenger Box Office (Photo Credit – YouTube)

In 2026, we have seen several low-budget horror films that made an impact at the box office. For instance, Markiplier’s Iron Lung ($50 million), according to Box Office Mojo, delivered over 17 times its budget, while Ian Tuason’s Undertone ($21.3 million), according to Box Office Mojo, earned over a staggering 40 times its budget. In addition to the upcoming movies – Obsession and Backrooms, which will be released in theaters later this month, genre fans will also get to see another supernatural horror film titled Passenger, which is slated for a theatrical release in the U.S. on May 22, 2026.

According to a recent projection by Box Office Pro, the Paramount release is tracking to earn between $7 million and $10 million in North America during its opening weekend (May 22-24). Let’s take a look at how it compares to the domestic debuts of the top five highest-grossing horror movies in North America released in 2026.

Top 5 Highest-Grossing Horror Movies of 2026 – Domestic Opening Weekends

At the time of writing, these are the year’s top five highest-grossing horror films at the domestic box office, along with their opening weekend earnings, per Box Office Mojo data.

Scream 7: $63.6 million
Send Help: $19.1 million
Iron Lung: $17.8 million
Primate: $11.2 million
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple: $12.5 million

What The Numbers Indicate

Based on the above domestic opening weekend figures, the horror film that is closest to Passenger’s projected $7-10 million range is Primate ($11.2 million). The survival horror film went on to earn $25.6 million in North America, indicating a multiplier of roughly 2.29x.

Assuming Passenger performs similarly at the domestic box office, it could earn between $16 million and $23 million in North America using the same domestic multiplier. However, the film’s actual theatrical performance would depend on word-of-mouth, its opening weekend haul, and how strongly it holds in the weeks following its release.

What’s Passenger All About?

Directed by Norwegian filmmaker André Øvredal, the film follows a young couple whose road adventure takes a terrifying turn when they witness a brutal accident. Soon after, they are pursued by a relentless demonic stalker. It features Jacob Scipio, Lou Llobell, and Melissa Leo.