As 2025 nears its conclusion, with major film releases like Ne Zha 2, Lilo & Stitch, and A Minecraft Movie reigning at the box office, another winner has been crowned in the horror genre. In the first quarter of the year, Ryan Coogler’s vampire film Sinners quickly earned the title of most successful horror film of 2025, with the sequel Final Destination Bloodlines coming in second. The positions were held for some time, but after The Conjuring 4, a.k.a. The Conjuring: Last Rites, was released and started smashing box office records, it was only a matter of time before the rankings suffered some changes. As we enter the last quarter of 2025, the concluding chapter of The Conjuring franchise has now become the year’s most successful horror film.
By the time of writing, The Conjuring: Last Rites has grossed a total of $400 million at the global box office. Per Box Office Mojo, the domestic gross for the movie sits at $151.2 million, a total of 38% of the worldwide gross. Overseas, the film has proven its might, grossing $248.8 million, meaning 62% of the total gross comes from international markets.
This puts The Conjuring: Last Rites at the top of the list of highest-grossing horror films of the year, followed by Sinners, which grossed $366.7 million, and Final Destination Bloodlines, which grossed $313 million. Weapons follows with $263.4 million. It’s important to mention that Sinners and Weapons keep the titles of highest-grossing horror films that are not based on a previous IP or franchise—a significant achievement in an industry dominated by reboots and sequels.
The Conjuring: Last Rites is officially the end of The Conjuring franchise–at least, of the main film series, as it has already been announced that there are plans to continue with a TV series. It was directed by Michael Chaves, and features the demonologist couple known as the Warrens facing a violent entity that’s haunting an innocent family.
Warner Bros. Pictures Keeps Holding Onto the Horror Crown
When it comes to box office performance in horror, the genre isn’t often featured in end-of-the-year lists. It tends to do well, but it doesn’t pose a threat to other popular genres. Superhero and animated movies are usually among the most successful. That’s why having scary films break the $300 million barrier is as exciting as it gets. When you only have one, it provides hope for the horror genre. When you have a few of them, it proves to the studios that scary films are popular and deserve more credit than people give them.
Warner Bros. is one of the industry’s most important studios, and their horror offer undoubtedly proves that they are the absolute winners in the niche territory of scary movies. It’s a notable year for the studio that holds the title for highest-grossing horror film of all time (It), and highest-grossing horror franchise of all time (The Conjuring).
- Release Date
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September 5, 2025
- Runtime
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135 Minutes
- Director
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Michael Chaves
- Writers
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David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, Ian B. Goldberg, Richard Naing, Carey Hayes, Chad Hayes, James Wan
- Producers
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Peter Safran, James Wan
