10 Low Budget Horror Movies That Dominated The Box Office
9. Psycho
During the 1950s, Alfred Hitchcock was churning out success after success, securing his reputation as one of the world's greatest directors. Unfortunately, no one shared his enthusiasm when the London-born filmmaker announced he was adapting Robert Bloch's Psycho to the big screen. Because of the grisly nature of the novel, Hitchcock struggled to find any backing for the project.
Just to reiterate, Hitchcock wasn't some indie director at the time. With classics like Dial M For Murder, Rear Window, and Vertigo under his belt, he was perceived as a juggernaut in the world of cinema. The fact that studios didn't want to touch Hitchcock's latest work despite the fact he had already directed a dozen smash hits highlights just how little faith everyone had in him.
After nearly every studio closed the door on Hitchcock, Paramount finally agreed to greenlight the film. However, Hitchcock's given budget was a pitiful $806,947. (By comparison, his previous film, North by Northwest, had a budget of $4.3 million.)
Despite being bombarded by skepticism, Psycho went to earn $50 million, making it the most successful film in Hitchcock's career by far.