Vampire Movies Are Now Box Office Gold, So Get Ready For A Full Resurgence -

The recent release of the vampire horror movie Sinners has brought the ever-present genre back into the sunlight (well, popularity-wise anyway). The horror movie follows twin brothers, Smoke and Stack, as they decide to return to their Mississippi town to open a juke joint. Sinners‘ cast is led by Michael B. Jordan in dual roles, along with a great supporting cast including Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, and more. The cast’s performances and the film’s intense plot and great pacing have earned Sinners positive reviews so far.

Along with being incredibly well-received by audiences and critics alike, Sinners has become a massive box office success. It opened at #1 at the box office, ending A Minecraft Movie‘s winning streak. It is already clear that Sinners is a force to be reckoned with, and that everyone involved is at the top of their game. While there is no shortage of great vampire movies for fans of the category to check out, many of the recent additions to the subgenre have not fared as well as older installations, so Sinners’ success has come at precisely the right time.

Vampire Movies Finally Have Consecutive Box Office Hits With Sinners & Nosferatu

The Vampire Horror Movies Have Been Hits With Audiences And Critics

With its recent success, Sinners has joined Nosferatu atop the ranks of the most successful recent vampire movies. The movies are the two newest major studio vampire movies, and their success is a major win for the subgenre. After being in theaters for one week, Sinners has currently grossed $87 million, meaning that it has nearly recovered its reported budget of $90 million (via The Numbers). While this means it still has a way to go before breaking even, Sinners is already a massive success and even had the best opening weekend of any original film this decade.

Michael B Jordan as Smoke shooting a gun in Sinners

Sinners Box Office Hits A Trend Not Seen Since The Hannah Montana Movie

Sinners pulls off an unusual accomplishment at the box office that hasn’t happened since the release of the Hannah Montana movie in 2009.

While Nosferatu was not an original concept, the 2024 vampire movie was also massively successful, bringing back characters from the beloved 1922 German silent horror film Nosferatu. Marketing for the film promised audiences a return to Robert Eggers signature haunting directorial style, and the movie delivered that in fine form. Nosferatu opened on Christmas Day 2024 with some stiff competition, ultimately placing third behind the reigning leaders Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Mufasa: The Lion King.

Though the two new vampire movies do have very different styles, both benefit from the stunning performances and the movies’ abilities to create fear.

The movie far exceeded expectations, ultimately grossing $181.3 million on a budget of $50 million (via The Numbers). Though the two new vampire movies have very different styles, both benefit from the stunning performances and the movies’ abilities to create fear. Sinners and Nosferatu are well-made horror films that take themselves seriously, and audiences are taking them seriously too, proving that vampire movies can still be very successful despite recent let-downs.

Sinners & Nosferatu’s Box Office Performance Came At The Perfect Time For Vampires

Recent Vampire Movies Have Been Let-Downs

Though some older installations in the vampire genre are perennially popular with their fans, including everything from teen dramas like Twilight to comedies like The Lost Boys to true classics like Dracula, the vampire subgenre has faltered somewhat in recent years. The category as a whole is incredibly broad and incorporates both abject horror and family-friendly options, so it is unsurprising that there is something for everyone. Though the success of any given vampire movie can vary greatly based on whether it finds its intended audience.

Sinners and Nosferatu arguably both had pretty strong chances of being successful going in thanks to well-liked directors and actors attached to the projects, but positive critical and audience responses have certainly helped as well. Their success could not have come at a more crucial time, because, despite the general ongoing popularity of some vampire media, recent vampire films had flopped at the box office. 2023’s Renfield (which featured Nosferatu‘s Nicholas Hoult) made just $26.9 million on a budget of $65 million.

Movie	Budget	Domestic Opening Weekend	Worldwide Gross
Renfield	$65 Million	$8 Million	$26.8 Million
The Last Voyage of the Demeter	$45 Million	$6.5 Million	$21.8 Million
Abigail	$28 Million	$10.2 Million	$42.8 Million
Nosferatu	$50 Million	$21.7 Million	$181.2 Million
Sinners	$90 Million	$48 Million	$87 Million (1 week)

Likewise, The Last Voyage of the Demeter and Abigail both failed to impress audiences. While none of the previous three vampire movies were very poorly reviewed, they failed to find their audience. Renfield‘s comedic approach did not quite work, and The Last Voyage of the Demeter‘s pacing was a bit too slow to keep audiences’ attention. In contrast, Abigail was more positively reviewed, but its lackluster marketing meant that it did not reach many of those who might have enjoyed it. In short, Nosferatu and Sinners were sorely needed.

What Vampire Movies Are Coming Out Next After Sinners – Will They Find Box Office Success?

There Are A Few Promising Vampire Films In The Works

Michael B Jordan and Miles Caton as Smoke and Sammie in Sinners.

Sinners is still early in its time in theaters, so it should continue to enjoy several more weekends of success. However, once its reign has ended, there are a few upcoming vampire movies to be on the lookout for. Dracula-centered vampire movies are some of the subgenre’s most popular, and this summer yet another will be added to the mix. Director Luc Besson’s new take on the character, Dracula: A Love Tale, is scheduled to be released on July 30, 2025. The movie will feature Caleb Landry Jones and Christoph Waltz.

Flesh of the Gods, starring Kristen Stewart and Oscar Isaac, was announced last May.

In addition to Besson’s upcoming film, which could see critical success thanks to the talented individuals involved, there are several other vampire movies that have been announced though not yet given a release date. Flesh of the Gods, starring Kristen Stewart and Oscar Isaac, was announced last May. Given Stewart’s previous ties to an iconic vampire series, Flesh of the Gods could be an audience draw. Likewise, Brides (starring Maika Monroe), which will begin filming soon, could benefit from the actor’s history as a popular scream queen to create another successful entry to the genre.

Hollywood Is Surely Going To Push For More Vampire Movies After Sinners & Nosferatu

Vampire Movies Done Right Can Still Draw Audiences

If Sinners and Nosferatu had been box office bombs, studios might have taken the multi-year trend as a sign that vampire movies were simply no longer profitable. Luckily, their success may prompt Hollywood to come to the opposite conclusion. While the vampire aspects of the films were not the only reason that they ended up being successful, the commonality is something that studios cannot ignore. Vampires are a great storytelling device to confront many issues and ideas, so it seems plausible that studios will try to find even more vampire stories.

Whether through new adaptations of classic vampire stories like Dracula or Carmilla or through original works like Sinners, vampire movies will hopefully stick around.

Interestingly, the recent additions are seemingly trending more towards adult horror movies, rather than teen soapy dramas, which have been the more popular version of vampire media for a long time. While it’s unclear if this will remain the case or if broader vampire stories will become popular again, I am glad the category could see more new additions. Whether through new adaptations of classic vampire stories like Dracula or Carmilla or through original works like Sinners, vampire movies will hopefully stick around.

Source: The Numbers, The Numbers