The Genre Game: How Horror Hits Buoy Theaters Before a Multi-Genre Fall

The genre game has been a winning strategy for Hollywood in 2025, with horror hits providing a major buoy for theaters. Zack Cregger’s Weapons is the latest horror film to strike box office gold, earning $148.8 million worldwide. This success, however, precedes a fall season that will rely on a much wider mix of genres.
Horror has been a consistent performer all year. Along with Weapons, original titles like Ryan Coogler’s Sinners have demonstrated the genre’s profitability and its ability to launch new, compelling stories. This has provided a stable financial backbone for many studios and theaters.
Now, the market will diversify. The upcoming slate is a smorgasbord of genres, from the Coen brothers’ comedy Honey Don’t! to the satire of The Rose and the supernatural terror of The Conjuring: Last Rites. Theaters are hoping this multi-genre approach will appeal to a broad range of tastes during the blockbuster lull.
The holiday season will bring back the big-budget spectacle genre in a huge way. Sci-fi (Tron: Ares), fantasy (Wicked: For Good), and action (Predator: Badlands) will dominate the schedule, ensuring that every type of moviegoer has a major event to look forward to.