Ghostface took Manhatten and slayed the weekend with a Scream best opening.
Scream VI opened with $44 million at the domestic box office, beating out Scream 3’s $34 million to be the best opening for the slasher franchise. Scream VI went on to open with $67 million globally, another series high.
Scream VI is proving to be a powerhouse for the brand. After the relaunch in 2022, giving the franchise a true requel, many were curious if they could keep up the momentum. Even without former franchise lead Neve Campbell, Scream VI didn’t stammer. For comparison, this sixth entry opened with $14 million more than 2022’s Scream, which opened with just $30 million.
The Scream film franchise has quite a noteworthy box office record; the original 90s slasher brought in only $6.3 million but stayed as a powerhouse from word-of-mouth. The sequel, Scream 2, jumped impressively to $32.9 million, and the third film improved on that. 2011’s Scream 4 dropped to $18.6 million, so the Radio Silence-led new direction is proving to be what the franchise needed.
While Scream and the horror fans obviously helped the box office, the demographics were all-around solid. The audience was reportedly split between males and females, with 63% being just 18-23. Also, casting diverse leads helped pump up the Hispanic demos, with the Hispanic and White demos matching at 38%. These numbers are precisely what studios want, proving that an R-rated slasher can work for any viewer.
Paramount is already moving forward with Scream 7.
Scream VI is directed by Matt Bettinelli-Oplin and Tyler Gillett, who reunite with Scream 2022 cast members Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, and Mason Gooding. Franchise mainstay Courteney Cox and Scream 4’s Hayden Panettiere also return, alongside new additions including Samara Weaving (Ready or Not), Dermot Mulroney (Hanna), Jack Champion (Avatar: The Way of Water), Liana Liberato (The Beach House), Devyn Nekoda (Ghostwriter), Josh Segarra (Arrow), Henry Czerny (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1) and Tony Revolori (Spider-Man: No Way Home).
