Horror show: North American box office records lowest monthly total since 1997

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North America's box office has suffered its worst monthly total since the late 1990s, with October earnings plummeting to $425 million. This dismal figure is a far cry from previous years, with only the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 managing to scrape together a mere $63 million.

The lack of big-budget blockbusters is often cited as a major contributor to this decline. The latest effects movie, Tron: Ares, failed to impress, grossing just $67 million domestically and a paltry $133 million worldwide on an estimated budget of $180 million. Notable "awards season" films such as Dwayne Johnson's wrestling drama, Julia Roberts' #MeToo thriller, and music biopic Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere also fell short of expectations.

Horror movies, which are typically a surefire hit in October, also failed to deliver this year. The lead horror release of the season, Black Phone 2, managed an underwhelming $8 million over Halloween weekend, while another highly anticipated film, Shelby Oaks, grossed a mere $770,000 from its wide theatrical release.

The poor box office performance was compounded by other factors, including the timing of the Halloween holiday and baseball's World Series. Cinemagoers were likely distracted by the baseball finale on November 2nd, which may have contributed to the lackluster weekend numbers.

According to analyst Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations, "The major releases this month failed to deliver." He attributes the poor performance to the absence of compelling horror movies, stating that a successful horror release should be a "no-brainer."

However, one film did buck the trend: Taylor Swift's The Official Release Party of a Showgirl. Despite only having one weekend in theaters, it took in $34 million between October 3rd and 5th, demonstrating that even low-budget releases can find success with savvy marketing.
 
omg i'm dead 🤯 like whats going on w/ the box office?! $425 million in october is literally a tiny fraction of what we used to see 📉 i mean tron: are was supposed 2 be huge but it tanked 🤖 and dway's wrestling drama wasnt even good lol 😂 i think they need 2 bring back more blockbuster movies ASAP 🎥 taylor swifts movie was literally the only thing that worked tho and she didn't even have a big marketing budget 💸👯‍♀️
 
I'm totally stoked about this box office mess 🤪. I mean, who needs big-budget blockbusters anyway? It's all about the indie flicks and underdog stories now. The fact that Taylor Swift's silly movie made a killing is proof that you don't need a gazillion dollars to make bank. And let's be real, horror movies are so last year 🎃. Who wants a good scare when you can have a cheesy wrestling drama or a music biopic? I'm calling it now: the decline of big-budget films is actually a blessing in disguise. It's forcing studios to get creative and take more risks on smaller projects. Bring on the art house movies and foreign films! 🎬🌟
 
Omg I was just watching this new Taylor Swift movie 🤯 and I had no idea it made so much money! I mean, I like her music, but I don't think I'd pay to see a movie about her life... or whatever it's about? Anyway, back to the box office thingy... yeah, $425 million is super low. What's going on with Hollywood? Are they just not making as many good movies anymore? Or do people just prefer Netflix and chill instead of going to the cinema? 🍿👀

And btw, I've been thinking about getting a new phone and my friend said I should get an iPhone... but I really like my Samsung. Do you guys think it's worth switching? I don't want to be one of those people who can't even charge their phone properly anymore 😂.

Oh and have you heard the latest from BTS? I love them so much! They're going on tour next year and I'm totally buying tickets... but I don't know if my parents will let me go 🎉.
 
man, the box office is just trash right now 🤦‍♂️. like, what's going on? no big budget blockbusters, horror movies bombing... it's like the whole industry is just phoning it in 📺. and don't even get me started on those awards season films 🎥. i mean, you'd think they'd be able to muster up some decent box office numbers, but nope. it's all just a bunch of flops 🚫.

but hey, at least there's one exception 🎉. taylor swift's little film made bank 💸. that's what i call savvy marketing 💡. who needs big budgets when you've got a name like taylor swift? 🤷‍♀️. anyway, back to the slump... maybe it's just an off year for movies, but man, i'm not holding my breath for any of these flicks 🎥.
 
🤔 I'm telling you, the big-budget blockbusters just aren't what they used to be... Like, Tron: Ares? Come on, $133 million worldwide on a $180 million budget? That's just not adding up 🤑 And don't even get me started on those awards season films. I mean, Julia Roberts is a movie star, for crying out loud! What happened with her film? 💔 But you know what did happen? Taylor Swift's weird music biopic thingy... that was actually kinda cool 😎 and she had some decent marketing magic going on. That's the kind of thing we need more of in Hollywood, if you ask me 🎬
 
aww man, box office numbers are soooo down this month 🤕 its like people have lost interest in movies or something. but i gotta give it up to taylor swift's film tho 🎉 $34 million is no joke! thats what happens when you got a talented artist and a solid marketing team behind u 💼 u cant put a price on the power of social media and fandom, right? 📱
 
I dunno about this box office thing... 🤔 Like, I get it, no big-budget blockbusters and all, but you'd think something would stick. Tron: Ares was pretty hyped and still only did like 67 million domestic? What happened? 🤷‍♂️ And don't even get me started on the horror movies... Black Phone 2 was supposed to be a banger and it flopped 😅. But you know what's weird, that Taylor Swift movie? It made more than those big-budget films and all it had was one weekend in theaters! 🤑 Like, what's up with that? Shouldn't marketing make the difference or something? 🤔
 
Man... think about this - sometimes big things don't happen when we're waiting for them to happen 🤔. We get so hyped up for the next big release, but what if it's just not meant to be? It's like that one friend who always says they're going to show up late, and then they never do 😒.

And yeah, horror movies are a big deal in October, but sometimes we try too hard to scare people instead of telling a good story 🎃. I mean, Black Phone 2 was like a ghost ship out there - nobody wanted to board it ⚓️.

But here's the thing: Taylor Swift's movie wasn't even trying to be a big hit; it just did its own thing and made some cash 💸. So maybe sometimes success isn't about being the biggest or best, but just about showing up and being yourself 💪.
 
ugh, this is so weird! I mean, i'm all for smaller movies making more sense than these big blockbusters, but $425 million is still a lot. i feel bad for the horror fans who were expecting something scary and spooky in october 🎃. and what's up with dwayne johnson's movie? was it that bad? 🤔 also, taylor swift's movie made more than 7 other major releases this month...that's wild 🤑
 
🤷‍♀️ I mean, what's new? Another month where people just aren't feeling the whole 'going to the movies' vibe, huh? I'm not surprised about the horror movies though... have you seen how many times we've had to relive the same old scares in recent years? It's like, hello, we get it, your jump scare is iconic and all that... 🙄 But seriously, $34 million for a Taylor Swift movie? That's some savvy marketing right there. I guess sometimes you just need a celebrity name attached to a film to make people care 😜
 
It's crazy to think about how bad the box office is doing this year 🤯. I mean, $425 million for October? That's like, a quarter of what they used to make back in the day 💸. And it's not just one or two films that did poorly, it's like everything from big-budget blockbusters to horror movies just fell flat 😔.

But you know what really gets me is when you see films like Taylor Swift's The Official Release Party of a Showgirl doing surprisingly well 🎉. I mean, $34 million in just three days? That's some savvy marketing right there 💡. It shows that even with low budgets, you can still make a splash if you've got the right strategy behind it 🤔.

It's also weird how some people are saying that horror movies should be a "no-brainer" to do well in October 🎃. I mean, what is it about those movies that makes them so predictable? Maybe it's just me, but I think it's actually kinda cool when they surprise us and do really well 🔮.

Anyway, I guess this just goes to show how unpredictable the box office can be 💥. You've got to stay on your toes if you want to make a hit film 🎬.
 
omg u guys i just saw the worst movie of my life tron: ares is such a waste of money like who thought $180 mil was enough for a mid-tier effects flick? 🤦‍♂️ anyway did u hear about springsteen's new biopic? it got cancelled after one show lol what even is that? and taylor swift's movie tho i'm low-key obsessed with her can we talk about how she just made $34 mil from a tiny release like wut magic is this 💖
 
Movie magic is back 🎥👍 but it seems like the studios need to rethink their strategy. I mean, who thought a wrestling drama and a music biopic would be huge hits? Not me 😂. Horror movies are always gonna do well in October, but you'd think they'd know that by now 🤔. And baseball? Really? That's not exactly new info... the fall season is all about football now ⚫️. Anyway, it's good to see a low-budget release like Taylor Swift's film doing well - I guess marketing makes all the difference 💸!
 
omg the numbers are crazy 🤯 i mean $425 mil is like half of what they used to make back in the day 📉 it's not just the horror movies tho, some big names came out and flopped too like dwanye johnson's movie 🤔 i'm starting to think that our attention spans have changed or something? we're all so easily distracted now, especially with halloween and baseball on the same weekend, lol 🎃🏟️ but at least taylor swift's release party movie did well, that's def some great marketing 💸
 
🍿 Box office blues 🤔

I guess big budget flicks just aren't as hot as they used to be...like, what's the deal? People still wanna watch movies, but are they too distracted by sports and whatnot?

Anyway, Taylor Swift's little movie raked in 34 mil on a shoestring budget – that's some solid marketing magic right there 🎉

Baseball mighta taken a bite outta October box office tho 😐
 
man this is crazy... like the box office was supposed to be lit this october but nope... i mean the numbers are just wild... $425 million is like a joke compared to what it used to be... and those big budgets for tron: ares and all that? gotta wonder if they were made for the sake of making them or if they're actually gonna make some real money in the end... and horror movies in october are supposed to kill (pun intended)... but nope... black phone 2 and shelby oaks just didn't cut it... maybe next year we'll see a comeback? 🤔🎥
 
🙄 I mean, what's wrong with people these days? Go to the movies on a Friday and you're not gonna see some blockbuster movie blasting your eardrums... it's just not happening anymore! 🎥 And yeah, who thought Tron: Ares was a good idea? That thing was a total waste of cash... like $133 million for a movie that makes like 67 bucks domestically? 😂 Come on!

And don't even get me started on the horror movies this year. I swear, every other week is supposed to be Halloween or something. Can't we just have one normal month without all these spooky flicks? 🎃 It's just too much, you know?

But hey, I guess Taylor Swift's little movie was a surprise hit! Who knew people would shell out 34 million bucks for a movie about... whatever it is she did in that showgirl thing? 🤷‍♀️ At least she knows how to market herself, right? 😂
 
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