Do you prefer the remakes of films or their original predecessors? Do your friends criticize you if you like the remakes more? You’re not alone! We got the scoop on the best and worst horror remakes in recent history, judged by the box office, critics, and the public alike. Whilst 13% of horror remakes were better than the original, 52% made more money at the box office than their original.

Thanks to MYVOUCHERCODES, HorrorBuzz got the scoop on the best/worst and most/least profitable horror remakes. 

FROM THE CRITICS:

Only 3 remakes received a better critic score than their original: The Fly (1986), The Crazies (2010), and My Bloody Valentine 3D (2009).

Top 10 
● The Fly, 1986 – 83
● Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 1978 – 82
● Let Me In, 2010 – 76
● The Thing, 1982 – 74
● Dawn of the Dead, 2004 – 67
● The Ring, 2002 – 66
● Red Dragon, 2002 – 64
● The Crazies, 2010 – 63
● Fright Night, 2011 – 63
● Night of the Living Dead, 1990 – 63

Bottom 10
● The Fog, 2005 – 27
● Prom Night, 2008 – 27
● The Wicker Man, 2006 – 35
● A Nightmare on Elm Street, 2010 – 37
● The Hitcher, 2007 – 38
● Halloween, 2007 – 41
● Friday the 13th, 2009 – 42
● The Amityville Horror, 2005 – 42
● House of Wax, 2005 – 43
● The Omen, 2006 – 46

FROM THE PEOPLE:

9 remakes received a better audience score than their original: The Thing (1982), The Crazies (2010), The Fly (1986), Prom Night (2008), The Hills Have Eyes (2006), The Mummy (1999), The Blob (1988), Piranha 3D (2010), The Last House on the Left (2009). The Amityville Horror (2005) received the same audience score as it’s original: 52.

Top 10
● The Thing, 1982 – 92
● The Fly, 1986 – 83
● Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 1978 – 81
● Dawn of the Dead, 2004 – 77
● Let Me In, 2010 – 76
● The Mummy, 1999 – 75
● Red Dragon, 2002 – 74
● Night of the Living Dead, 1990 – 67
● Evil Dead, 2013 – 63
● Fright Night, 2011 – 59

Bottom 10
● The Wicker Man, 2006 – 17
● The Fog, 2005 – 18
● Poltergeist, 2015 – 22
● Psycho, 1998 – 28
● Prom Night, 2008 – 38
● The Omen, 2006 – 40
● House of Wax, 2005 – 41
● A Nightmare on Elm Street, 2010 – 43
● Piranha 3D, 2010 – 43
● Carrie, 2013 – 44

 

Domestic Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation)

Top 10
● The Mummy, 1999 – $283,547,900
● The Ring, 2002 – $205,872,000
● Red Dragon, 2002 – $148,623,000
● The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 2003 – $123,846,400
● The Fly, 1986 – $101,086,900
● Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 1978 – $98,826,700
● The Amityville Horror, 2005 – $94,339,000
● Dawn of the Dead, 2004 – $88,103,700
● Friday the 13th, 2009 – $80,773,300
● Halloween, 2007 – $78,514,800

Bottom 10
● Night of the Living Dead, 1990 – $12,787,900
● Let Me In, 2010 – $14,043,800
● The Blob, 1988 – $18,603,000
● Fright Night, 2011 – $21,372,300
● The Hitcher, 2007 – $22,195,400
● Piranha 3D, 2010 – $30,054,500
● The Wicker Man, 2006 – $33,469,800
● Carrie, 2013 – $39,152,300
● The Last House on the Left, 2009 – $40,698,800
● Psycho, 1988 – $41,663,700

The Most Profitable Remakes (Worldwide Box Office vs. Production Budget)

Top 10 Most:
● The Mummy, 1999 – +$335,900,000
● The Ring, 2002 – +$201,300,000
● Red Dragon, 2002 – +$131,100,000
● The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 2003 – +$97,600,000
● The Omen, 2006 – +$94,500,000
● The Amityville Horror, 2005 – +$89,000,000
● My Bloody Valentine 3D, 2009 – +$86,700,000
● A Nightmare on Elm Street, 2010 – +$80,600,000
● Evil Dead, 2013 – +$80,500,000
● Dawn of the Dead, 2004 – +$76,400,000

Bottom 10 Least:
● Psycho, 1998 – $-22,900,000
● The Blob, 1988 – $-10,800,000
● The Wicker Man, 2006 – $-1,200,000
● Night of the Living Dead, 1990 – $1,600,000
● Let Me In, 2010 – $4,100,000
● The Thing, 1982 – $4,600,000
● Fright Night, 2011 – $11,000,000
● The Hitcher, 2007 – $15,400,000
● Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 1978 -$21,400,000
● The Fog, 2005 – $28,200,000

Out of 100 film remakes, 31 of them were horror films. So you know what that means… NETFLIX and BINGE! This is some pretty fascinating stuff eh folks?

About the Author

From humble beginnings as a bisexual art kid who drank more coffee than a 40-year-old author, Remy now holds a BFA in Film Production from Chapman University and is a proud member of the HorrorBuzz team (and still a bisexual art kid who drinks too much coffee). They were first introduced to the world of horror and camp when their grandma showed them The Rocky Horror Picture Show at age 5, and never looked back. When they're not writing cartoons or working on movies, one can spot them in various clubs around Los Angeles performing very, very self-deprecating standup comedy. Howdy ho!