Blumhouse’s “Night Swim” opened to $11.8 million earlier this year and topped out at $54 million worldwide. It’s currently the highest-grossing American horror movie of 2024. Granted, it had a pretty sizable drop in weekend two. If “Strangers” can avoid that and find a little more success overseas, it might be in a better position. It’s a matter of not getting swallowed up by the rest of the summer slate. Reviews/word of mouth could be especially important here. This one probably won’t be able to overcome a “meh” response.
The film focuses on a young couple whose car breaks down, forcing them to spend the night in a remote cabin. Things get scary in a hurry when three masked strangers begin terrorizing them with no mercy and seemingly no motive. Madelaine Petsch (“Riverdale”) and Froy Gutierrez (“Cruel Summer”) star.
To become the biggest American horror movie of the year, “Strangers: Chapter 1” just has to make more than $54 million. For context, Bertino’s original opened to $21 million domestically on its way to $83 million worldwide in 2008. If this new take can do similar numbers, Lionsgate would be happy. The budget has yet to be revealed but Harlin filmed all three of these new “Strangers” movies at once. So we have one budget split between three movies, essentially. Fortunately, Lionsgate tends to be thrifty enough with horror titles.
Last year’s “Saw X” cost $13 million and made $111.8 million worldwide. On the more expensive end, 2019’s “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” cost $28 million and made $104.5 million worldwide. If we triple those budgets, we’d be looking at a total budget between $39 and $84 million for the trilogy. My guess is it’s much closer to $39 million. So, if the trilogy can pull in $150 million or so, Lionsgate can probably call this experiment a win. Heck, last year’s “Thanksgiving” made $46.5 million against a $15 million budget, and now Eli Roth is returning to direct a sequel. Being thrifty lowers the bar for success, to be certain.
“The Strangers: Chapter 1” hits theaters on May 17, 2024.
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