2024 was packed with big-name sequels and flashy remakes—Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, all those expected hits. They did really well at the box office, earning billions and all. But the wildest thing? The movie that actually made the most profit wasn’t one of those mega-budget blockbusters. It was a tiny horror flick called Terrifier 3.
This film was made on a shoestring budget—just $2 million—and it ended up making $90 million worldwide. That’s 45 times what it cost to make. Crazy, right? It didn’t have any famous actors. It wasn’t backed by some huge studio. It just had solid word-of-mouth, people talking about how wild and creepy it was, and slowly it blew up. Damien Leone directed it, and honestly, he just nailed it. It’s this Christmas-themed supernatural slasher—something about it just clicked with horror fans.
Compare that to something like Inside Out 2, which made a massive $1.7 billion globally. Sounds like a win, and sure, it is. But that movie cost $200 million to make. So yeah, it made money, but not even close to the kind of return Terrifier 3 pulled off. Same with Deadpool & Wolverine—big budget, big earnings, but lower profit margins.
And even in India, where Pushpa 2: The Rule topped the box office with ₹1700 crore (about $200 million), it didn’t come close in terms of profitability. That movie made around five times its budget, which is super solid—but still not touching that insane 45x return that Terrifier 3 managed.
Going Head-To-Head With Joker 2... and Winning?
Both Terrifier 3 and Joker: Folie à Deux dropped in October, and most people expected Joker to dominate. I mean, it’s Joker, right? Big fanbase, tons of hype. But here’s the twist—Terrifier 3 actually came out on top. People just weren’t feeling the Joker sequel. The reviews weren’t great, and even the die-hard fans didn’t show up like expected.
Opening weekend numbers really say it all. Terrifier 3 pulled in $18.9 million in North America alone. Meanwhile, Joker 2 only brought in $7 million. That’s a huge difference, especially considering one had a tiny budget and the other had all the marketing and expectations behind it.
This just shows that sometimes, people want something fresh. Something bold and not so polished. When a film really connects with the audience—especially horror fans who love something gritty and intense—it doesn’t need big names or a $200 million budget. It just needs to deliver the kind of experience people are hungry for.
Final Thought
2024 was a year full of massive movies, but in the middle of all that noise, this small horror film quietly took over. Terrifier 3 didn’t just make money—it kind of proved a point. You don’t need a huge budget to win. You just need a film that people actually want to see and talk about. That’s what made it the real surprise hit of the year.
