Scaring up money: The 20 horror movies with the biggest opening weekends

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Lionsgate is hoping ‘Saw V’ will make a big splatter at theaters this weekend; most projections have the film pulling in $30 million or so and finishing second to the equally sadistic ‘High School Musical 3: Senior Year.’ How steady is the ‘Saw’ franchise? Impressively, the series accounts for three of the Top 10 opening weekends among horror films released since 1982.

1. ‘The Grudge’ 10/22/04

Opening weekend: $39,128,715 (All-time box office: $110,175,871)

2. ‘Freddy vs. Jason’ 08/15/03

$36,428,066 ($82,217,464)

3. ‘Interview with the Vampire’ 11/11/94

$36,389,705 ($105,264,608)

4. ‘The Ring Two’ 03/18/05

$35,065,237 ($75,941,727)

5. ‘Scream 3’ 02/04/00

$34,713,342 ($89,143,175)

6. ‘Saw III’ 10/27/06

$33,610,319 ($80,238,724)

7. ‘The Haunting’ 07/23/99

$33,435,140 ($91,240,529)

8. ‘Scream 2’ 12/12/97

$32,926,342 ($101,363,301)

9. ‘Saw IV’ 10/26/07

$31,756,764 ($63,300,095)

10. ‘Saw II’ 10/28/05

$31,725,652 ($87,039,965)

Source: Nielsen EDI

Image of ‘Saw V’ poster courtesy of Lionsgate