Sam Raimi’s New Horror Movie Breaks a 17-Year Box Office Record

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Sam Raimi is well-known for directing popular comic book movies like the original Spider-Man trilogy and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. However, many also consider him a horror master, thanks to films like the Evil Dead series, Darkman, and Drag Me to Hell. Because of his background in horror, there was a lot of anticipation for his new thriller, Send Help, starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien. Luckily, that excitement paid off, as the movie is doing well in theaters and appears poised to be Raimi’s most commercially successful film yet.

Variety reports that Send Help is projected to make $20 million in the U.S. during its opening weekend, slightly more than the $18 million expected for the film Iron Lung. This is the biggest opening weekend ever for a horror movie directed by Raimi, exceeding the $15.8 million earned by Drag Me to Hell in 2009. The film also brought in $8.1 million internationally, for a total worldwide debut of $28.1 million.

Can Send Help Have Strong Legs at the Box Office?

It’s great that the original horror film Send Help had a strong opening weekend in theaters. Horror movies are usually pretty dependable at the box office, but they don’t always succeed. Earlier in January, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple didn’t perform as well as expected, even though critics liked it. Send Help also generated positive buzz beforehand—earning one of director Raimi’s best Rotten Tomatoes scores—and, crucially, it resonated with a wider audience. Unlike The Bone Temple, which is part of a smaller horror series, Send Help felt like a more mainstream, broadly appealing horror film.

Disney made a strategic choice releasing Send Help in January. Historically, January isn’t a big month for new movies, giving the film a chance to perform well with little competition. With no major releases scheduled for the first weekend in February, Send Help is likely to remain the top movie at the box office for at least another week. While the new horror film The Strangers — Chapter 3 is coming out this Friday, it’s not expected to be a major hit – the previous installment, The Strangers — Chapter 2, only earned $21.9 million worldwide.

It will be interesting to see how well Send Help performs over time. Good reviews should continue to help its box office numbers, as most people agree it’s a film best experienced in theaters thanks to its unique idea and strong acting. However, horror movies often earn most of their money during the opening weekend, with ticket sales declining quickly after that. Last year, films like Sinners and Weapons proved that isn’t always the case, but Send Help likely won’t generate the same awards season excitement as those films—meaning fewer people will feel a sense of urgency to see it in theaters. Still, it received positive feedback, and there aren’t many big releases right now, which could help its chances.

Honestly, while The Strangers: Chapter 3 might not be a huge draw for everyone, I think Send Help has a real shot at being the top horror movie for a while. Late February brings Scream 7, which is almost guaranteed to be a big hit – though Psycho Killer is coming out just before that, too. We’ve got a few other new releases this month, like Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die and Crime 101, but they seem geared more towards niche audiences. If things play out right, Send Help could really dominate the horror scene until Scream 7 comes along.

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2026-02-01 20:10