From Blumhouse’s The Black Phone to the recent hit Smile, there are several examples of brand new horror films that aren’t part of an existing franchise that have pleased audiences with their storytelling power and also grossed high amounts.

RELATED: 10 Horror Movies To Watch If You Love Smile

2022 has proven that there are many original horror movies that will make a lot of money. In June 2022, Jason Blum told The Wrap that he was watching the box office success of The Black Phone closely to see how original horror films would do in the future. Blum said, “We know IP horror works, but we don’t know if original horror is working well, and I think the industry is looking at ‘Black Phone’ to see if the marketplace going to accept original horror now." If the movie didn’t get good numbers, he added, “that does not bode well for original horror that’s theatrically released.”

The Black Phone and its creepy villain did incredibly well, grossing $159,568,230 worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. Smile is another 2022 release that has been a massive hit, grossing $185,987,000 worldwide. Smile grossed $22 million its opening weekend, which was another huge win. These movies are particularly interesting because they are brand new but have elements familiar to horror fans since they are about a villain who wears several different masks and a curse that is passed on to various characters.

While there will be an audience for sequels and new entries in slasher franchises, as those offer a comfort and familiarity along with the excitement of seeing the next part of the story, it’s nice and refreshing to know that original stories can make good money. The future of horror is likely going to see more and more fresh tales being told, especially as franchises start to lose their power. Halloween Kills and Scream (2022) did well at the box office, but Halloween Ends has gotten criticism as fans aren’t sure why the movie took a certain direction. Franchises will continue to make money, but audiences aren’t always pleased with the results creatively.

2022 has been a great year for horror fans thanks to the new takes on tropes and the artistic storytelling. Fans have been fascinated by Ti West’s X and the prequel Pearl, and these movies haven’t made as much as A24’s highest-grossing horror films, but they have done pretty well. They also get fans of the genre excited for the different, creative films that A24 releases, which is important, too.

When looking back at the movies that have come out this year, such as The Black Phone, Smile, and Nope, which Box Office Mojo puts at $170,823,080 worldwide, it’s clear that audiences are hungry for original horror and that isn’t going to change anytime soon. Bodies Bodies Bodies was also a success for A24, grossing just over $13,626,740 worldwide.

There’s something so exciting about seeing a movie that has unique characters and surprising plot twists and, best of all, is able to move beyond typical tropes. The films released in 2022 are about characters finding an alien presence on a ranch, an elderly woman (and her younger self) coming to terms with aging and beauty and death, and a group of young adults playing a game during stormy weather that changes when someone is killed.

Instead of watching iconic slasher villains kill people in similar ways, these original films take the genre to new storytelling depths. Fans will never stop rewatching favorites like Halloween and A Nightmare On Elm Street, but it’s nice that new filmmakers are being given the chance to tell their stories and that there are many fans who are more than happy to head to their local theater to be entertained and excited.

For a long time, horror fans talked among themselves about underrated films and new twists on subgenres and tropes, but a huge hit would only come around once in a while. In 2022, original horror continues to do really well at the box office, which is especially great given that action movies have often been the biggest successes. In a year where Top Gun: Maverick has grossed over $1 billion and become the seventh-biggest film at the domestic box office, it’s incredibly impressive that original horror is grossing such high numbers. It will be exciting to see what’s in store for 2023.

NEXT: 4 Blumhouse Movies Coming Out In 2022