2026 is turning out to be an exciting year for horror cinema. The highest-grossing horror movie so far is the $45 million slasher sequel Scream 7, which grossed $208 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. At the same time, multiple low-budget horror movies have also performed well in theaters this year.
For instance, Iron Lung was made on an estimated budget of under $3 million, according to Deadline, and earned $50 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. And Undertone was produced on a reported $500k budget, according to Deadline, and went on to gross $21.6 million, according to Box Office Mojo. So, both these films delivered excellent returns relative to their budgets. Recently, Curry Barker’s Obsession crossed the $100 million mark at the global box office, according to Box Office Mojo.
Another modestly budgeted horror film, Passenger, was released in theaters on May 22, 2026, and its worldwide total stands at $17.8 million. The film was made on an estimated budget of $15 million, according to Deadline, so it needs to earn around $37.5 million worldwide to break even at the box office, using the 2.5x multiplier rule.
While it remains to be seen if it can achieve this milestone in the coming weeks, Passenger is now closing in on the worldwide totals of three 2026 horror films—They Will Kill You, Undertone & Hokum. Let’s find out how much it would need to earn to outgross them and to beat their theatrical profits.
Passenger vs. They Will Kill You, Undertone & Hokum – Box Office Comparison
Here’s how the four horror films of 2026 compare at the global box office, according to data from Box Office Mojo.
Passenger – Box Office Summary
- North America: $12.7 million
- International: $5.1 million
- Worldwide: $17.8 million
They Will Kill You, Undertone & Hokum – Worldwide Earnings & Theatrical Profits
This is what They Will Kill You, Undertone & Hokum have earned worldwide, along with their estimated theatrical profits over their break-even points, calculated using the 2.5x multiplier rule.
They Will Kill You
- Worldwide Earnings: $19.3 million
- Theatrical Profit: –$30.7 million
Undertone
- Worldwide Earnings: $21.6 million
- Theatrical Profit: $20.3 million
Hokum:
- Worldwide Earnings: $23.3 million
- Theatrical Profit: $10.8 million
What These Numbers Indicate
Based on the above numbers, it is clear that Passenger needs to earn another $1.5 million to overtake They Will Kill You, $3.8 million to outgross Undertone, and $5.5 million to beat Hokum’s worldwide earnings. If it maintains its current pace in the next few days, Passenger is well-positioned to outgross all three films in worldwide earnings.
With a current global haul of $17.8 million, Passenger still needs to earn around $19.7 million to reach its estimated $37.5 million theatrical break-even point. To achieve this target, the film must demonstrate steady weekday and weekend holds for the next 2-3 weeks in addition to solid support from international markets. If it manages to do that and overcome competition from other horror films like Obsession and Backrooms, it could surpass that figure.
As of now, Passenger’s current $19.7 million deficit is much smaller than They Will Kill You’s $30.7 theatrical deficit and needs to earn another $40 million to beat Undertone’s theatrical profit and another $30.5 million to beat Hokum’s theatrical profit. At this stage, surpassing these two figures appears to be challenging. That said, the final box office verdict should be clear in the coming weeks.
What’s Passenger All About?
Directed by Norwegian filmmaker André Øvredal, the film follows a young couple whose road adventure takes a terrifying turn when they witness a brutal accident. Soon after, they are pursued by a relentless demonic stalker. It features Jacob Scipio, Lou Llobell, and Melissa Leo.
Passenger Trailer
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