Supercomputer names the most successful horror sequels of all time

(KTAL/KMSS) — Just in time for Halloween, a new data-driven study has revealed which horror sequels, prequels, and remakes have scared up the most success at the box office and with critics.

VegasInsider’s supercomputer analyzed more than 370 horror films across 70 major franchises — from Halloween and Friday the 13th to Scream, Saw, and The Conjuring — to determine which continuations outperformed their originals. The analysis considered worldwide gross, return on investment, IMDb ratings, Rotten Tomatoes scores, and Metacritic scores.

Top-performing continuations

According to the study, Evil Dead II (1987), 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016), Terrifier 2 (2022), Terrifier 3 (2024), and Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025) rank among the most successful horror follow-ups of all time.

Evil Dead II earned higher marks than the 1981 original across four key metrics: worldwide gross, Rotten Tomatoes score, Metacritic score, and IMDb rating. Likewise, 10 Cloverfield Lane outperformed Cloverfield (2008) in all four categories, and the Terrifier sequels dramatically surpassed the first film in critical response and profitability.

The upcoming Final Destination: Bloodlines also outpaced the original Final Destination (2000) in worldwide gross, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic scores, and overall return on investment.

Box-office dominance

When looking solely at global ticket sales, the 2017 adaptation of It leads the pack with $704 million, followed by It: Chapter Two ($473 million) and The Conjuring: Last Rites ($459 million). The Alien prequel Prometheus (2012) remains the highest-grossing horror prequel ever, pulling in $403 million worldwide.

Critical favorites

Critically, Creep 2 (2017) and the 2021 Slumber Party Massacre remake top Rotten Tomatoes’ list with perfect 100% scores, followed closely by Aliens (1986) at 98% and Prey (2022) at 94%.

On Metacritic, Aliens also leads with an 84, followed by The Fly (1986) at 81, 28 Weeks Later (2007) at 78, and 28 Years Later (2025) at 77.

Slumber Party Massacre (2021) saw the biggest critical leap of any franchise — a 55-point jump over its 1982 original. Meanwhile, Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025) posted the largest improvement on Metacritic, rising from 39 to 73.

Fan favorites and flops

Based on IMDb user ratings, Aliens (1986) remains fans’ favorite sequel with an 8.4 rating, followed by Dawn of the Dead (1978) and Evil Dead II (1987).

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Jaws: The Revenge (1987) scored a 3.0 compared to the original Jaws (8.1) — one of the steepest declines in horror history.

ROI winners

When ranked by return on investment, Terrifier 2 (2022) came out on top with an estimated 6,055% ROI, ahead of Paranormal Activity 2 (5,817%), Paranormal Activity 3 (4,040%), Annabelle (2014) (3,862%), and Saw II (2005) (3,593%).

Behind the data

Researchers evaluated 373 films from 73 franchises, awarding points for outperforming the original in five categories. Metrics were drawn from IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and Metacritic. The full analysis — including an interactive table comparing all 370+ films — can be found at VegasInsider.com