The Frighteners (1996)
| Theatrical Performance | ||
| Domestic Box Office | $16,553,635 | Details |
| International Box Office | $1,371 | Details |
| Worldwide Box Office | $16,555,006 | |
| OpusData ID: 28560100 More info... | ||
| Further financial details... | ||
Synopsis
Once an architect, Frank Bannister now passes himself off as an exorcist of evil spirits. To bolster his facade, he claims his “special” gift is the result of a car accident that killed his wife. But what he does not count on is more people dying in the small town where he lives. As he tries to piece together the supernatural mystery of these killings, he falls in love with the wife of one of the victims and deals with a crazy FBI agent.
Metrics
| Opening Weekend: | $5,565,495 (33.6% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 2.97 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Theater counts: | 1,669 opening theaters/1,675 max. theaters, 3.8 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $42,357,827 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | July 19th, 1996 (Wide) by Universal |
| International Releases: | December 26th, 1996 (Wide) (New Zealand)
October 28th, 2021 (Limited) (New Zealand) |
| Video Release: | August 26th, 1997 by Universal Home Entertainment |
| MPA Rating: | R for terror/violence |
| Running Time: | 109 minutes |
| Plot point: | Bonnie and Clyde romance, Confidence Men, Friendly Ghost, Haunting, Heaven and Hell, Serial Killer, Surprise Twist |
| Social setting: | Supernatural |
| Subgenre: | Horror Comedy |
| Source: | Original Screenplay |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Fantasy |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Wingnut Films, Universal Pictures |
| Production Countries: | United States |
| Languages: | English |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19, 1996 | 5 | $5,565,495 | 1,669 | $3,335 | $5,565,495 | 1 | |
| Jul 26, 1996 | 11 | $2,788,880 | -50% | 1,675 | $1,665 | $10,791,115 | 2 |
| Aug 2, 1996 | 12 | $1,479,080 | -47% | 1,436 | $1,030 | $13,865,995 | 3 |
| Aug 9, 1996 | 22 | $623,475 | -58% | 765 | $815 | $15,351,655 | 4 |
| Aug 16, 1996 | 28 | $267,240 | -57% | 332 | $805 | $15,959,645 | 5 |
| Aug 23, 1996 | 34 | $189,040 | -29% | 272 | $695 | $16,289,845 | 6 |
| Aug 30, 1996 | 40 | $138,985 | -26% | 133 | $1,045 | $16,524,115 | 7 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19, 1996 | 5 | $8,002,235 | 1,669 | $4,795 | $8,002,235 | 1 | |
| Jul 26, 1996 | 12 | $4,384,680 | -45% | 1,675 | $2,618 | $12,386,915 | 2 |
| Aug 2, 1996 | 13 | $2,341,265 | -47% | 1,436 | $1,630 | $14,728,180 | 3 |
| Aug 9, 1996 | 19 | $964,225 | -59% | 765 | $1,260 | $15,692,405 | 4 |
| Aug 16, 1996 | 29 | $408,400 | -58% | 332 | $1,230 | $16,100,805 | 5 |
| Aug 23, 1996 | 35 | $284,325 | -30% | 272 | $1,045 | $16,385,130 | 6 |
Top International Territories
Box Office Summary Per Territory
| Territory | Release Date |
Opening Weekend |
Opening Weekend Screens/Theaters |
Maximum Screens/Theaters |
Theatrical Engagements |
Total Box Office |
Report Date |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 12/26/1996 | $0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | $1,371 | 4/13/2026 | |||
| International Total | $1,371 | 4/13/2026 | ||||||||
Note: Territories vary in whether they report screens or theaters. Full details on international box office data are available via our OpusData service.
Leading
| Michael J. Fox | Frank Bannister |
Supporting
| Trini Alvarado | Dr. Lucy Lynskey | |
| Peter Dobson | Ray Lynskey | |
| John Astin | The Judge | |
| Dee Wallace-Stone* | Patricia Ann Bradley, Bartlett's Girl | |
| Jeffrey Combs | Special Agent Milton Dammers | |
| Jake Busey | Johnny Bartlett | |
| Chi McBride | Cyrus |
Cameo
| R. Lee Ermey | Sergeant Hiles | |
| Peter Jackson | Man with Piercings |
Production and Technical Credits
| Peter Jackson | Director | |
| Fran Walsh | Screenwriter | |
| Peter Jackson | Screenwriter | |
| Jamie Selkirk | Producer | |
| Peter Jackson | Producer | |
| Robert Zemeckis | Executive Producer | |
| Alun Bollinger | Director of Photography | |
| John Blick | Director of Photography | |
| Grant Major | Production Designer | |
| Jamie Selkirk | Editor | |
| Fran Walsh | Associate Producer | |
| Tim Sanders | Co-Producer | |
| Danny Elfman | Composer |
Cast and crew with above-the-line roles are marked in bold. The line marks the division between above-the-line and below-the-line roles.
Synopsis
Once an architect, Frank Bannister now passes himself off as an exorcist of evil spirits. To bolster his facade, he claims his “special” gift is the result of a car accident that killed his wife. But what he does not count on is more people dying in the small town where he lives. As he tries to piece together the supernatural mystery of these killings, he falls in love with the wife of one of the victims and deals with a crazy FBI agent.
Metrics
| Opening Weekend: | $5,565,495 (33.6% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 2.97 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Theater counts: | 1,669 opening theaters/1,675 max. theaters, 3.8 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $42,357,827 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | July 19th, 1996 (Wide) by Universal |
| International Releases: | December 26th, 1996 (Wide) (New Zealand)
October 28th, 2021 (Limited) (New Zealand) |
| Video Release: | August 26th, 1997 by Universal Home Entertainment |
| MPA Rating: | R for terror/violence |
| Running Time: | 109 minutes |
| Plot point: | Bonnie and Clyde romance, Confidence Men, Friendly Ghost, Haunting, Heaven and Hell, Serial Killer, Surprise Twist |
| Social setting: | Supernatural |
| Subgenre: | Horror Comedy |
| Source: | Original Screenplay |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Fantasy |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Wingnut Films, Universal Pictures |
| Production Countries: | United States |
| Languages: | English |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19, 1996 | 5 | $5,565,495 | 1,669 | $3,335 | $5,565,495 | 1 | |
| Jul 26, 1996 | 11 | $2,788,880 | -50% | 1,675 | $1,665 | $10,791,115 | 2 |
| Aug 2, 1996 | 12 | $1,479,080 | -47% | 1,436 | $1,030 | $13,865,995 | 3 |
| Aug 9, 1996 | 22 | $623,475 | -58% | 765 | $815 | $15,351,655 | 4 |
| Aug 16, 1996 | 28 | $267,240 | -57% | 332 | $805 | $15,959,645 | 5 |
| Aug 23, 1996 | 34 | $189,040 | -29% | 272 | $695 | $16,289,845 | 6 |
| Aug 30, 1996 | 40 | $138,985 | -26% | 133 | $1,045 | $16,524,115 | 7 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19, 1996 | 5 | $8,002,235 | 1,669 | $4,795 | $8,002,235 | 1 | |
| Jul 26, 1996 | 12 | $4,384,680 | -45% | 1,675 | $2,618 | $12,386,915 | 2 |
| Aug 2, 1996 | 13 | $2,341,265 | -47% | 1,436 | $1,630 | $14,728,180 | 3 |
| Aug 9, 1996 | 19 | $964,225 | -59% | 765 | $1,260 | $15,692,405 | 4 |
| Aug 16, 1996 | 29 | $408,400 | -58% | 332 | $1,230 | $16,100,805 | 5 |
| Aug 23, 1996 | 35 | $284,325 | -30% | 272 | $1,045 | $16,385,130 | 6 |
Top International Territories
Box Office Summary Per Territory
| Territory | Release Date |
Opening Weekend |
Opening Weekend Screens/Theaters |
Maximum Screens/Theaters |
Theatrical Engagements |
Total Box Office |
Report Date |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 12/26/1996 | $0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | $1,371 | 4/13/2026 | |||
| International Total | $1,371 | 4/13/2026 | ||||||||
Note: Territories vary in whether they report screens or theaters. Full details on international box office data are available via our OpusData service.
Leading
| Michael J. Fox | Frank Bannister |
Supporting
| Trini Alvarado | Dr. Lucy Lynskey | |
| Peter Dobson | Ray Lynskey | |
| John Astin | The Judge | |
| Dee Wallace-Stone* | Patricia Ann Bradley, Bartlett's Girl | |
| Jeffrey Combs | Special Agent Milton Dammers | |
| Jake Busey | Johnny Bartlett | |
| Chi McBride | Cyrus |
Cameo
| R. Lee Ermey | Sergeant Hiles | |
| Peter Jackson | Man with Piercings |
Production and Technical Credits
| Peter Jackson | Director | |
| Fran Walsh | Screenwriter | |
| Peter Jackson | Screenwriter | |
| Jamie Selkirk | Producer | |
| Peter Jackson | Producer | |
| Robert Zemeckis | Executive Producer | |
| Alun Bollinger | Director of Photography | |
| John Blick | Director of Photography | |
| Grant Major | Production Designer | |
| Jamie Selkirk | Editor | |
| Fran Walsh | Associate Producer | |
| Tim Sanders | Co-Producer | |
| Danny Elfman | Composer |
Cast and crew with above-the-line roles are marked in bold. The line marks the division between above-the-line and below-the-line roles.