These Two Box Office Flops Have Become Surprise Streaming Halloween Hits

by

Movies that don’t do well in theaters often find viewers when they become available on streaming services. A new report from Nielsen shows that two recently released films that flopped in cinemas are now attracting an audience online.

Nielsen recently looked at what people were streaming at home in the lead-up to Halloween, and some horror titles are performing surprisingly well. For the week of October 1st to 7th, the data shows that M3GAN 2.0 was the most-streamed horror movie, racking up 115 million minutes on Peacock, closely followed by Scream. In fact, three other 2025 horror releases landed in the top 10 that week: Bring Her Back at number 3, 28 Years Later at number 4, and Sinners at number 8.

Despite a disappointing theatrical release on July 28, 2023, Disney’s Haunted Mansion found success on streaming platforms. This supported the idea that Disney intentionally released the film in the summer to make it available for Halloween viewing. In October 2023, Haunted Mansion was the most-watched horror movie on Disney+. The following year, it appeared on Nielsen’s Top 10 Horror Films list for 2024, reaching Number 5 on Netflix and Number 7 across ABC and Disney+ streams. The film proved popular with all audiences and was the top-watched Halloween movie in 2023.

What Makes a Halloween Classic


Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Several trends stand out. Movies from the Halloween series consistently perform well each year, especially when new installments are released. We saw big jumps in viewership in 2021 and 2022 with the releases of Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends. In fact, in 2021, three Halloween movies—the original, Halloween II, and the 2018 reboot—all ranked in the top 10. The 2022 release of Halloween Ends did particularly well because it was available in theaters and on Peacock at the same time. Nielsen points out that a Halloween movie is almost always the most-watched horror film on traditional TV in October, even if it doesn’t reach the overall top 10 when streaming is included. David Gordon’s 2018 Halloween has consistently appeared in the top 10 each year from 2021 to 2025, suggesting it’s becoming a beloved Halloween tradition.

Every year includes a combination of brand new horror movies and older favorites. In 2023, popular choices were Five Nights at Freddy’s, Totally Killer, and Reinfeld, while 2024 saw the release of the Netflix original Don’t Move. There have been some unexpected hits too – for example, the 2001 film Ghost Ship surprisingly reached Number 6 in 2021. Perhaps the biggest surprise for 2025 was that the 1962 classic Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, featuring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, became the fifth most-watched horror movie during the first week of October.

Despite disappointing box office results for films like M3GAN 2.0 and Haunted Mansion, it’s important to remember that a movie’s life doesn’t end when it leaves theaters. Even a single boost in viewers after M3GAN 2.0 starts streaming on Peacock is a positive outcome, given the initial negative reception. While Haunted Mansion may not become a blockbuster like Pirates of the Caribbean, it could introduce a new generation to horror and become a beloved classic over time – similar to how Disney films like Newsies, Treasure Planet, and Hocus Pocus have gained a following years after their initial release.

Read More

2025-10-31 17:04