Which One Delivered The Best Return On Budget?

James Wan gained global popularity after directing the 2004 horror film Saw, which was a critical and commercial success. Made on a modest $1.2 million approximate budget, it went on to gross $104 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo, delivering an excellent 87x return. Later, he helmed the 2013 horror hit The Conjuring, whose success spawned several sequels and spin-offs. It’s currently the highest-grossing horror franchise of all time and has grossed over $2.7 billion so far at the worldwide box office.

Beyond the horror space, the Malaysia-born filmmaker has also directed the 2015 action flick Furious 7, followed by the big-budget DCEU superhero film Aquaman and its sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Now, let’s take a look at how the last five films directed by James Wan performed at the box office and which one of them delivered the best return relative to its budget.

James Wan’s Last 5 Films – Budget & Worldwide Box Office

Here are the last five films directed by James Wan, their worldwide totals (according to data from Box Office Mojo), along with their estimated production budgets.

1. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)

• Budget: $205 million 
• Worldwide Earnings: $440.2 million

2. Malignant (2021)

• Budget: $40 million 
• Worldwide Earnings: $34.9 million 

3. Aquaman (2018)

• Budget: $160 million 
• Worldwide Earnings: $1.152 billion

4. The Conjuring 2 (2016)

• Budget: $40 million
• Worldwide Earnings: $322.8 million 

5. Furious 7 (2015)

• Budget: $190 million
• Worldwide Earnings: $1.515 billion 

Earnings-to-Budget Performance

1. The Conjuring 2 (2016): 8.07x
2. Furious 7 (2015): 7.97x
3. Aquaman (2018): 7.20x
4. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023): 2.15x
5. Malignant (2021): 0.87x

What The Numbers Indicate

Based on the above figures and calculations, it can be observed that while Furious 7 is the top-grossing film among James Wan’s last five directorial efforts, it is not the one that has earned the highest return over its budget. That honor goes to The Conjuring 2, which earned a stellar 8.07 times its budget, closely followed by Furious 7’s 7.97x return. And the film from the above list that wasn’t able to recoup its budget was Malignant. That film fell short of reaching that target by around $5.1 million.

More About The Conjuring 2

Set in 1977, the supernatural horror film follows paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga). They travel to North London to help a distressed single mother, Peggy Hodgson, who believes something evil is haunting her house. When her youngest daughter shows signs of possession, the Warrens must confront the terrifying force behind it.

The Conjuring 2 – Trailer

Stay tuned to Koimoi for more box office updates and stories.

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