The Business Of Fear, presented by Blumhouse and Atomic Monster, explores horror’s reign and proves it is not going anywhere.
In a rare press conference event dubbed The Business of Fear, Blumhouse celebrated its 15th anniversary, offering a compelling and insightful look into the world of horror cinema. If the studio’s passion for the genre was not already clear, this event proved it. The overarching message? Horror is not just thriving; it’s an increasingly dominant and vital force in the entertainment industry, particularly in the theatrical space.
The event, featuring Blumhouse CEO/Founder Jason Blum and President Abhijay Prakash, Atomic Monster Director of Creative Production Alayna Glasthal, and horror analyst/author Stephen Follows, delved into fascinating data, trends, and the very definition of what constitutes a horror film today.
The Unstoppable Ascent of Horror
The presentation started by showcasing a striking upward trend in horror’s market share of production, stretching back to 1940. While other genres like musicals and Westerns have seen their peaks and valleys, horror has exhibited a steady upward trend over the last two decades, essentially doubling its market share since the year 2000. There is no doubt about it, this growth is significantly bolstered by the contributions of Blumhouse and Atomic Monster.
The year 2024 was highlighted as a banner year for horror, with a diverse range of successful titles from big-budget blockbusters like A Quiet Place: Day One and Alien: Romulus to independent sensations like Longlegs and Terrifier 3. Even Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, despite initial genre ambiguity, was firmly claimed as a horror title by the experts. 2025 is already off to a phenomenal start with Sinners and Final Destination: Bloodlines breaking through in significant ways.
The Theatrical Advantage: Why Horror Works Best on the Big Screen
Jason Blum passionately articulated why horror has an inverse relationship with the rise of streaming, in stark contrast to other genres. He argued that the communal, immersive experience of a movie theater is paramount for true scares.
“The only way to be really scared is when your phone is not with you and when you are in a dark room with a lot of other people and you are fully focused on a movie,” Blum explained. The ability to look away or be distracted at home, he noted, shatters the suspension of disbelief crucial for horror to land its punches. This unique theatrical advantage, he believes, is why horror’s graph continues its upward trajectory while others plateau or decline.
Redefining “Horror”: A Genre Fractured And Flourishing
Stephen Follows emphasized the evolving definition of horror itself. He playfully suggested that at the current mathematical trajectory, all films will be horror films by 2104 – which I wish I would be alive for. More seriously, he pointed out that the term “horror” is now akin to saying “it’s a movie” – too broad to convey meaningful information. Just as popular music diversified into countless subgenres, horror has undergone a similar “amazing diversification of creativity, of audience taste.”
Follows showcased his own classification of 11 horror subgenres, ranging from psychological to supernatural, illustrating the vast emotional experiences audiences seek within the genre. Abhijay Prakash revealed that Blumhouse uses 24 internal subgenres when discussing their slate, acknowledging that “horror is not a monolithic, just one category.”
This granular understanding allows them to develop films that touch on multiple subgenres, appealing to wider audiences. The conversation also touched on how horror reflects societal anxieties and changes, with monsters evolving from external threats to internal traumas.
The discussion about the blurred lines of horror extended to lively debate, with Jaws and even Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang being jokingly (and sometimes seriously) considered for their inherent terrifying elements. A fascinating anecdote from Stephen Follows involved a significant figure in horror asserting that classic films like Pinocchio and Frankenstein are undeniably horror, further cementing the idea that horror is everywhere and deeply intertwined with the human experience and the human condition.
Originals And The Future of Fear
Alayna Glasthal highlighted M3GAN as a prime example of a film successfully leveraging multiple genres – horror, thriller, sci-fi, and comedy – to attract diverse audiences. She emphasized the importance of tailored marketing strategies for each subgenre and platform, citing M3GAN‘s viral TikTok dance bringing in a younger audience while the trailers focused on the horror elements for others.
Stephen Follows presented data showing that horror, alongside comedy and romantic comedy, boasts a high percentage of original screenplays (four out of five). He attributed this originality to horror being a very open place, free from the restrictions and gatekeepers that often constrain other genres. Jason Blum underscored this point, noting the desire for original movies and the significant percentage of successful original theatrical releases being horror films, like Sinners.
Despite the challenges posed by streaming, the proposition of a compelling horror film in theaters still works. He proudly cited “M3GAN” and “The Black Phone” as recent Blumhouse/Atomic successes that “pierced through” the market.
In closing, Jason Blum passionately articulated the core message of the event: to impress upon everyone that “horror is not only a legitimate art form, it’s a thriving art form in a challenging marketplace.” Prakash expressed frustration at attempts to deny films like Sinners their horror classification, asserting that horror is a terrific way to not only keep theaters alive but also to bring original stories to audiences, two crucial elements for the future of cinema.
The Business of Fear event was a powerful declaration of horror’s present and future dominance, driven by its unique theatrical appeal, its boundless creative diversification, and its consistent delivery of original, compelling stories. For horror fans and industry observers alike, the message was clear: fear is big business, and it’s here to stay.
