Terrifier 3 box office explained – every record it’s broken

Terrifier 3 may not be the biggest movie of 2024, but it’s undoubtedly this year’s greatest box office success story, setting (and breaking) several records in its theatrical run.

Two 2024 films have already entered the lucrative list of the highest-grossing movies ever made: Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine.

Neither is surprising; the former is a sequel to one of Pixar’s most acclaimed titles ever, and it slotted into cinemas when there was a dearth of family-friendly options, and the latter was quickly recognized as one of the best MCU movies.

Terrifier 3 deserves the loudest applause. Its popularity is unprecedented, as evidenced by its extraordinary box office returns – so, I’ve broken down everything about its big-screen run so far, including every record it’s achieved.

Terrifier 3 box office so far

Terrifier 3 has made $41.5 million worldwide, with $36.2m in the US alone and $5.3m in international markets.

Cineverse

That is an incredible achievement for a variety of reasons. It’s been released unrated in the US, meaning it’s not R-rated or NC-17, nor did it have to comply with the Classification and Rating Administration’s rules.

Chains like Regal, AMC, and Cinemark have been treating it like it’s R-rated, meaning people under the age of 17 need a parent or guardian. Some reports have suggested that kids have been buying tickets to DreamWorks’ The Wild Robot, only to sneak into Terrifier 3 instead.

In its first weekend, it out-grossed all of the Terrifier movies (including All Hallows’ Eve) with an $18.9m haul, and it even took the number one spot from Joker 2 (in contrast, arguably 2024’s definitive box office disaster, even more so than Borderlands).

It’s since been dethroned by Smile 2, but its performance isn’t anything to worry about: it still made just under $10 million in its second weekend in the US, a reasonable 48% drop from its opening. It came in at third just beneath The Wild Robot, which earned just over $10 million in its fourth weekend.

Terrifier 3 box office records and accolades

Terrifier 3 won’t get close to $1 billion, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t shattered box office records. It’s already beaten some of the best horror movies ever made, as well as setting one record that won’t be beaten any time soon.

Highest-grossing unrated movie in US history

As of October 21, 2024, Terrifier 3 is the highest-grossing unrated movie to ever hit cinemas in North America.

Cineverse

Its domestic haul currently stands at $36.2 million, putting it in first place ahead of Beyoncé’s Renaissance concert film ($33.8m), Baahubali 2: The Conclusion ($18.9m), and Cyberworld 3D ($11m).

This excludes documentaries and other specials; for example, Space Station, Toni Myers and Tom Cruise’s IMAX short film, has grossed more than $127 million worldwide, primarily because it’s a mainstay in IMAX theaters and museums everywhere.

Highest-grossing unrated horror movie in US history

Terrifier 3 is far and away the biggest unrated horror movie ever released in the US, and its lead will only widen in the coming weeks.

Cineverse

It’s projected to make as much as $50-60m by the end of its theatrical run, putting it miles ahead of its nearest competition on the all-time unrated horror rankings.

To put it into context, In a Violent Nature was released unrated earlier this year, and it made $4.2 million. That’s a brilliant achievement for an unrated film… and Terrifier 3 has made nine times as much money.

George A. Romero’s original Dawn of the Dead was technically released unrated (even though some theaters advertised it as an R), and it made $5.1 million (unadjusted, of course, but we don’t have time for inflation pedantry right now). Similarly, 1968’s Night of the Living Dead was unrated, and it made $12 million in North America.

Biggest weekend for an unrated horror movie in the US

Terrifier 3’s $18.9 million opening weekend was higher than any other unrated movie in US history.

Cineverse

It’s difficult to track the performance of unrated movies, but here’s how that compares to other titles: In a Violent Nature opened with $2.1m and Nicolas Cage’s Mandy opened with just $225,000.

However, it’s not even in the top 100 domestic openings for horror movies. Terrifier 3 may have made nearly $19 million, but here’s the top five biggest weekends: It Chapter One ($123m), It Chapter Two ($91), Five Nights at Freddy’s ($80m), 2018’s Halloween ($76m), and Us ($71m).

That isn’t meant to lessen Terrifier 3’s feat – if anything, it illustrates how impressive it is that a nascent IP is in the same conversation as the heaviest hitters.

Bigger box office than the entire Terrifier franchise

With $41.5 million worldwide, Terrifier 3 has already made more money than all of its predecessors combined.

The first Terrifier was barely released in cinemas. It premiered at a film festival in 2016, it screened a year later at FrightFest, and then Dread Central gave it an extremely limited release in 2018. It was released in 700 theaters in 2023, capitalizing on the popularity of Terrifier 2, making just under $420,000 worldwide.

Terrifier 2 was a sensation, just not to the same extent as its follow-up. It made $805,000 in its first weekend and eventually grossed $15m worldwide, with $10m coming from the US alone. All Hallows’ Eve was a direct-to-DVD release, so there aren’t any box office figures.

In total, before the threequel, the franchise made just over $16 million – which Terrifier beat in a single weekend, never mind its entire theatrical run.

Terrifier 3 has made 20 times its budget

Terrifier 3 was produced for $2 million, meaning it’s made over 20 times its budget in two weeks in cinemas.

Cineverse

Here’s something even more impressive: according to Chris McGurk, the chief of Cineverse Corp., only $500,000 was spent on marketing the movie, generating substantial buzz on three trailers (a teaser and two cuts of the main trailer) and word-of-mouth, plus an active X/Twitter account.

“I’ve never had a movie where the actual out-of-pocket marketing spend to box office has been this ratio. It’s just off the charts,” McGurk told The Hollywood Reporter, believing its success stems from “a different approach to finding an audience, and leveraging everything except national media.”

“We didn’t have a problem getting the screens we got this time. We knew it was going to do well, but we didn’t imagine it was going to do this. You’re dealing with an unknown animal, because people hadn’t seen an unrated movie tracking like this.”

Terrifier 3 opened at number one ahead of Joker 2

I’ve already mentioned that Terrifier 3 beat Joker 2 at the domestic box office on its first weekend, but let’s dig into what makes that such a mind-blowing feat.

Warner Bros.

2019’s Joker wasn’t just one of the biggest films of the year: it’s one of the highest-grossing movies of all time, holding the R-rated crown until Deadpool & Wolverine, and it was a pop-culture-shifting event.

You didn’t need to be a box office expert to predict that its follow-up, Joker: Folie à Deux, should have been an enormous title, possibly vying for a spot next to Deadpool & Wolverine and Inside Out 2.

Instead, it bombed big time. Its opening weekend came $126m under its predecessor, and with $37m in the US, it opened with lower box office receipts than The Flash ($55m), The Marvels ($46.1m), and Morbius ($39m).

Also, while Terrifier 3 held strong with a 48% dip in its second weekend, Joker 2 collapsed by 81%, the worst drop for a comic book movie ever.

If you’ve seen the movie, check out our Terrifier 3 ending explained and read why Terrifier 3 is secretly the best Christian movie of 2024. You should also find out how to watch Art the Clown’s Terrifier movies in order and how to stream Terrifier 3.