20 Horror Movies WAY More Successful Than Anyone Expected

World War Z wasn't expected to just fail, but to fail on a monumental level. The decision to turn this adaptation into a fast-paced action thriller alienated lovers of the source material. However, that was merely the tip of the iceberg. 

Based on early screenings, World War Z's third act was confusing and tonally inconsistent with the rest of the story, leading to Paramount ordering extensive rewrites and reshooting nearly 40 minutes of footage mere months before the planned premiere. 

Massive late-stage changes like this signalled deep creative problems and drove the budget sky-high. Due to the negative buzz, it seemed unfeasible for the zombie blockbuster to earn anything back, but after receiving surprisingly consistent reviews, World War Z earned $540 million, making it the most successful zombie film ever, as well as Brad Pitt's most profitable movie at the time.

Now, World War Z didn't make as much of a profit as you'd expect, since it cost over $190 million. But considering the undead blockbuster seemed destined to become one of Hollywood's biggest financial disasters, it's a miracle it didn't lose any money at all.