By Blumhouse Productions made its name on producing cost-effective low-budget horror movies at a frequent pace, many of which did well at the box-office.
A film like “Insidious” came in for just $1.5 million, whilst “Sinister” was done for just $3 million. Still predominantly following that model, the company has seen its production budgets rise in recent years.
Its two most recent films, the less well-regarded “Night Swim” and “Imaginary,” were produced for budgets of $15 million and $10 million, respectively, whilst last Fall’s “Exorcist: The Believer” was produced for $30 million.
Out promoting “Imaginary,” Blumhouse chief Jason Blum tells Collider that the changing cinema landscape is impacting Blumhouse’s approach to making horror films:
“Something that’s stayed the same is our model of no money up front and make the money if the movie works, is the same as it’s always been.
Something that’s different is our budgets are not as low. We used to make movies for a million or three million or five million. Now we’re more like $10-15 million to try and remain competitive in what is a very, you know, difficult theatrical marketplace.
[Low budget films] have a lot of potential on streaming and on television. And we still make lower budget movies for streaming, very low-budget movies for streaming and television, one.
And two, 100% for sure someone is gonna make a million-dollar – the next Blair Witch or Paranormal Activity. Someone will make that, figure out what that is. But as a rule, it’s much harder to make a movie for two or three million that will wind up in a theater than it used to be.”
Blumhouse has two more films due out this year with “Speak No Evil” in September and Leigh Whannell’s “Wolf Man” in October.
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