GoKawiilHorror genre posts outsized box-office and sales gains in 2026
Low-budget horror films Obsession and Backrooms, directed by creators who began on YouTube, have together grossed nearly $1 billion at the box office in 2026, outperforming big-budget franchises like Star Wars. Earlier YouTube-linked horror film Iron Lung also earned more than $50 million without major studio backing, while horror video games such as the Resident Evil series continue to sell tens of millions of copies.