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It (2017) is the highest-grossing horror movie worldwide in the maintained ranking shown for the week commencing 8 October 2026, with a reported worldwide theatrical gross of $719,766,009. The list is a dated snapshot, not a permanent canon: its figures are nominal, not adjusted for inflation, and its horror scope generally excludes giant-monster films.
Highest-grossing horror movies of all time
The following ranking reports lifetime worldwide theatrical grosses in nominal US dollars, as displayed for the week commencing 8 October 2026. It is a maintained reference list drawing on Box Office Mojo and The Numbers, with genre boundaries chosen for that list rather than settled universally. See the maintained ranking and its scope notes.
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| Rank | Film | Year | Reported worldwide gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | It | 2017 | $719,766,009 |
| 2 | The Sixth Sense | 1999 | $672,806,292 |
| 3 | I Am Legend | 2007 | $585,532,684 |
| 4 | World War Z | 2013 | $540,007,876 |
| 5 | Obsession | 2026 | $520,006,715 |
| 6 | The Conjuring: Last Rites | 2025 | $499,256,445 |
| 7 | Jaws | 1975 | $495,201,848 |
| 8 | It Chapter Two | 2019 | $473,123,154 |
| 9 | Beetlejuice Beetlejuice | 2024 | $452,000,435 |
| 10 | The Exorcist | 1973 | $430,872,776 |
Every amount and position in the table is from the ranking displayed for the week commencing 8 October 2026; newer theatrical releases or revised box-office reporting can alter the order.
What the ranking measures—and what it does not
A worldwide theatrical gross is the reported box-office value across markets, not a count of tickets sold, a measure of profit, or the amount a studio keeps. The table gives nominal totals: a dollar earned decades ago is not adjusted to match the purchasing power of a dollar earned today. It also ranks worldwide totals, not domestic grosses or estimated admissions.
Re-releases can contribute to a film’s reported lifetime total, so a gross need not represent only its initial theatrical run. The ranking’s notes say giant-monster movies are generally excluded from its horror chart. That choice matters for titles near the border of horror and other genres; another list with a different scope can produce a different result.
Why another source may show a different total for It
Guinness World Records identifies It (2017) as the highest-grossing horror film and reports $701,012,746 worldwide by 30 January 2025, attributing the figure to The Numbers. Guinness’s record entry is an earlier dated snapshot than the maintained ranking above, which displays $719,766,009 for the week commencing 8 October 2026. These amounts should not be combined or averaged: they describe reporting at different dates. Guinness also notes that records can change before online publication.
Rank #2
How to read the list
- For the current leader: It (2017) ranks first in the dated list above.
- For comparisons across eras: remember that these nominal grosses do not account for inflation or differences in ticket prices.
- For genre comparisons: treat the chart as one maintained reference, not a universal definition of horror; its scope generally leaves out giant-monster films.
- For changes over time: check the displayed date, since recent theatrical titles can rise and rankings can shift. JustWatch’s July 2026 guide, for example, was compiled by reviewing Box Office Mojo’s all-time highest-grossing films list, and its August 2026 coverage described Backrooms as still rising. Read JustWatch’s guide.
It adapts Stephen King’s 1986 novel. Readers interested in the source story can explore Guinness World Records’ entry, which identifies the film as an adaptation.
Quick Recap
Rank #3
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