Robert Eggers' Nosferatu, his 2024 gothic horror remake of the vampire classic, earned about $182 million worldwide on a reported $50 million production budget. It opened Dec. 25, 2024 in U.S.
theaters and took about $40.3-$40.8 million in its first five days. Focus Features handled domestic distribution, with Universal Pictures handling international release. The story follows a haunted estate agent and a Transylvanian count. Its strong holiday start made it an immediate horror success.
Table of Contents
- What did Nosferatu cost to make?
- How big was the Christmas opening?
- How did it finish worldwide?
- Why was the run a success for Focus Features?
What did Nosferatu cost to make?
The Numbers lists the production budget at a reported $50 million. That figure covers production only, before marketing and distribution costs, according to the Studio 8 production history.
That budget was modest for a studio period horror film. It was also well below Eggers' prior film, The Northman. Screen Rant, citing industry trackers, places that film at roughly $90 million.
How big was the Christmas opening?
Nosferatu earned about $21.65 million over the traditional three-day weekend. Boxoffice Pro reports it played on 2,992 domestic screens and finished third behind Sonic 3 and Mufasa. Its five-day Christmas debut was much larger. Variety reported about $40.3-$40.8 million domestically in its Christmas debut report.
That result beat prerelease expectations for an R-rated period horror film. The debut also set a holiday record for the genre. Variety, summarized by Bloody Disgusting, called it the biggest Christmas Day launch and holiday-weekend haul for a horror film. It passed the mark held by 1998's The Faculty.
How did it finish worldwide?
Box Office Mojo reports a final domestic total of about $95.6 million. Its international total reached about $86.4 million, according to the same final tally.
That made a worldwide total of about $182 million. The split was roughly 52.5 percent domestic and 47.5 percent international. Domestic strength carried the run, but overseas sales added nearly half.
Why was the run a success for Focus Features?
The total made Nosferatu Eggers' highest-grossing film. It surpassed The Northman, which finished near $69.6 million worldwide on its larger budget. The key measure is the budget multiple. About $182 million is roughly 3.6 times the reported $50 million budget.
For a specialty release from Focus Features, that signals a commercially successful run. Reported budgets still leave uncertainty around profit. They exclude marketing, and trackers differ by under $1 million on the final global total. Profitability is therefore approximate, even with the strong multiple.