Abigail: Reviving the Theatrical Power of Horror Films
Radio Silence and Universal’s “Abigail” hits theaters Friday as a hard-R vampire thriller, the latest test for an often dependable genre that’s so far struggling for air this year.
Marketed as horror in the loosest of terms, “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” has grossed more than $100 million domestically and is the only one to have surpassed $100 million worldwide.
The most glaring example in 2024 was “Madame Web,” a big flop for Sony, just like 2022’s “Morbius and earlier “Venom” films, not breaking $100 million globally.
Atomic Monster and Blumhouse’s “Night Swim,” also released through Universal, saw a lackluster performance in January, about a third as strong as “M3GAN” last year.
Filmmaking duo Radio Silence helmed the last two “Scream” movies, with “Abigail” led by Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega instead of Neve Campbell.
Posthumous performance from “Euphoria” star Angus Cloud, deceased last year, adds to the cast’s allure.
“Euphoria” stars are sought after in the horror genre but didn’t boost the performances of “Madame” or Neon’s “Immaculate,” both featuring Sydney Sweeney.
Another “Euphoria” star, Hunter Schafer, will star in the arthouse distributor’s “Cuckoo” alongside Dan Stevens.
Neon’s strong push into horror in 2024 includes new installments of “A Quiet Place,” “Smile,” “Venom,” and classic franchise “Alien,” giving “Abigail” the chance to cater to the audience’s desire for darker films this year.
