10 Horror Franchises That Spectacularly Bounced Back
Those once-doomed horror franchise that bounced back in magnificent fashion.
Few genres are more synonymous with franchises than the murky world of horror, with the relatively low cost of making these films meaning even some utter stinkers can still spin a solid profit. Case in point, the Paranormal Activity franchise - which does have a couple of good pictures amongst its ranks - has brought home nearly $900 million at the global box office from a combined budget of just $28 million.
The wider point here, being that horror can keep churning out new franchise entries time and time again, regardless of quality. And while some franchises find themselves in a rut that, quality-wise, they can't ever recover from, there are those special movies which can bring a seemingly-doomed series back from the dead in magnificent fashion.
Sometimes these returns to form result in a reinvigorated, bright future for a property, whilst other times such well-received returns are sadly merely fleeting and were quickly followed by something far once gain disappointing.
With that in mind, then, here are ten such horror franchises which spectacularly bounced back from the depths of despair.
10. Hellraiser
If looking at the long-standing franchises of the horror genre, no series has been plagued by as much absolute dross as the Hellraiser franchise. Of the first ten Hellraiser movies, only two or three can realistically be labelled as good. Then came 2022's Hellraiser reboot, which updated the property and delivered a brilliant return to form for a franchise that had been stagnant for decades.
Of course, some circles were up in the arms at this most recent Hellraiser having the audacity to cast a female - Jamie Clayton - in the role of the Priest, aka the Hell Priest, aka Pinhead, but that faux outrage was completely misplaced, not least owing to the fact the Priest is described as an androgynous figure with a feminine voice in Clive Barker's The Hellbound Heart source material.
Away from the daft bad faith from the naysayers, David Bruckner's Hellraiser do-over was extremely well received by the masses, featuring familiar themes of addiction and attempted recovery alongside the pleasure and pain which forever accompanies the Lament Configuration. And yes, Clayton totally knocked it out of the park as the Priest, bringing a chilling elegance to a character synonymous with franchise fave Doug Bradley.
Director Bruckner has shown an interest in a sequel to his 2022 movie, which is hugely positive news for those who were wowed by the sights he had to show us with his Hellraiser.