Horror Becomes Big Business Across Games, Film, Streaming and Haunts

The trend is most visible in video games. The Verge reported that Resident Evil Requiem has sold 8 million copies since launching in February, already making it the 14th best-selling game in Capcom’s history. A reboot of the Resident Evil film series from Weapons director Zach Cregger is on pace to become the top-grossing movie in the franchise’s history. According to a Game File report cited by The Verge, six titles in the game series have sold at least 3 million copies so far this year. In an earnings report, Capcom described the pattern as “a virtuous cycle in which sales of both new and past titles grow together.”

The Verge reported that horror was once seen as a niche genre but has steadily grown into a dominant force, helped by YouTube, indie games and viral memes. Horror is often cheaper to produce than other genres, but its sales now compete with major blockbusters. 2017’s It remains the top-grossing horror film of all time, and the 2019 Resident Evil 2 remake has sold almost 20 million copies. In 2026, however, the concentration of horror hits across multiple mediums has reached a new level.

In film, Obsession and Backrooms, two movies by young directors who came up through YouTube, have grossed nearly $1 billion combined at the box office, according to The Verge. They out-grossed established franchises such as Star Wars and films by Steven Spielberg. Backrooms was made for an estimated $10 million, while Obsession cost less than $1 million. Iron Lung, another YouTube-centered horror film, grossed more than $50 million without backing from a major studio.

Streaming services are competing for horror audiences in October. Amazon released a remake of Stephen King’s Carrie on Prime Video, directed by Mike Flanagan, who made his name with five limited horror series for Netflix between 2018 and 2023, beginning with The Haunting of Hill House. Netflix’s major release this year is Below, a six-episode sea monster thriller starring Josh Hartnett and Stranger Things’ Charlie Heaton. Peacock has a Friday the 13th prequel called Crystal Lake, starring Linda Cardellini as Jason Voorhees’ mother. AMC Plus is releasing a spooky detective series called Yaga with Carrie-Anne Moss and Heated Rivalry’s Hudson Williams. Disney Plus is airing the 13th season of American Horror Story. Apple TV released the horror-comedy Widow’s Bay in April; it won a record number of Emmys and remains on the service’s most-watched list.

In games, Silent Hill has been on a steady run, highlighted by the Scottish spinoff Townfall this year, and Hellraiser received its first proper video game adaptation, according to The Verge. Indie horror games have been consistent bestsellers on Steam and have supplied source material for theatrical hits including Iron Lung and Exit 8. The Verge reported that much of that success begins with people watching horror games on Twitch and YouTube.

Live haunted attractions are also a significant part of the business. NPR reported that Americans are expected to spend more than $13 billion on Halloween celebrations, with as much as $300 million to $500 million spent at haunts. Tens of millions of people take part in such activities every year. Markoff’s Haunted Forest in Dickerson, Maryland, one of the largest haunted attractions in the country, has more than a mile of haunted trails and dozens of themed haunted houses. It has been open since 1992 and employs hundreds of engineers, retail attendants, makeup artists and actors.

Markoff’s director of operations Paul Brubacher said each scene has an emergency radio in case an actor has a problem or someone needs to be evacuated, NPR reported. Art director and makeup manager Chris Knowles and his team use pressurized airbrushes to turn actors into ghouls, vampires and aliens. Knowles told NPR they have about seven minutes per person for makeup because roughly 100 people need to be ready in two hours. Robert Doyle, 38, a scare actor of five years at Markoff’s, said he loves giving people “a good dopamine rush.” He has played a killer clown, a demon and a Nosferatu-style vampire. Another scare actor, Jermaine Hoes, said he likes making people run and scream.

The trail at Markoff’s is dark, foggy and winding, with snakes, zombified pumpkin heads, ghosts, vampires, ghouls, aliens and cannibals. Though it is barely a mile, NPR reported it can take more than an hour to get through. Harvard Medical School associate professor of radiology Nouchine Hadjikhani told NPR that fear is extremely fast. When subjects are shown images of snakes or spiders for about 30 milliseconds, their amygdala becomes activated, she said. A jump scare can make the heart beat faster, cause sweating and dilate pupils, according to Hadjikhani.