Weapons Worldwide Box Office: How Much Zach Cregger’s Horror Hit Needs To Outgross An Oscar-Winning Serial Killer Classic

Zach Cregger’s Weapons continues its global box office run, but still needs a big boost to surpass a legendary Oscar-winning serial killer thriller.

- September 30, 2025 | 3:16 PM IST

Weapons Worldwide Box Office ( Photo Credit – YouTube )

Zach Cregger delivered his solo directorial debut, the 2022 horror film Barbarian, which became both a critical and commercial success. The 44-year-old filmmaker hit another bullseye with this year’s widely acclaimed mystery horror movie Weapons, which has already grossed an impressive $264.9 million worldwide haul, compared to Barbarian’s $45.4 million global haul.

Weapons has recently surpassed the lifetime earnings of several popular horror films, including A Quiet Place: Day One (2024), Halloween (2018), Get Out (2017), Annabelle (2014), and Us (2019). And now, Zach Cregger’s blockbuster horror film is closing in on the global earnings of The Silence of the Lambs, the 1991 Oscar-winning serial killer classic starring Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster. Read on to see how much Weapons needs to earn to outgross it at the global box office.

Weapons vs. The Silence of the Lambs – Box Office Comparison

Here’s the current box office breakdown for both films, according to Box Office Mojo:

Weapons – Box Office Summary

North America: $150.6 million
International: $114.2 million
Worldwide: $264.8 million

The Silence of the Lambs – Box Office Summary

North America: $130.7 million
International: $142 million
Worldwide: $272.7 million

As you can see, Weapons currently trails The Silence of the Lambs by approximately $7.9 million in worldwide earnings. Considering its current momentum and the fact that it’s already available on digital platforms, surpassing this box office milestone seems unlikely now.

Which Film Gave a Better Return Over Its Budget

Let’s compare the earnings-to-budget performance of Weapons and The Silence of the Lambs to see which film comes out on top.

The Silence of the Lambs – Budget: $19 Million | Worldwide Earnings: $272.7 Million
Weapons – Budget: $38 Million | Worldwide Earnings: $264.8 Million

Based on these numbers, The Silence of the Lambs earned approximately 14.3 times its production budget, while Weapons earned around 7 times its budget. This gives the iconic serial killer thriller the clear edge in terms of box office returns relative to its budget.

More About Weapons

The mystery horror film is set in a quiet American town where an unthinkable event shocks everyone. All but one child from Justine Gandy’s class mysteriously vanished one night, and they never returned. As panic and fear spread, Justine and the rest of the residents must uncover the truth behind the terrifying mass disappearance. Is it a sinister force, a human threat, or something even more unsettling?