“Talk to Me”, the new horror sensation, has been silently raking in the numbers, collecting over $50 million globally since its July premiere. With a modest production budget of just $4.5 million and being a unique piece without any pre-existing intellectual property, its commercial achievement is remarkable.
Success in Numbers
Only a month post its release, the film’s global box office earnings crossed the significant $50 million threshold, marking it as one of A24’s standout releases.
Impressive Earnings Breakdown
In the U.S. alone, the film’s earnings were $38.9 million, complemented by an additional $11.2 million from international viewership. Among its strongest foreign markets were Mexico, the U.K., Australia, Spain, and Russia, bringing in $3.6 million, $2.5 million, $1.9 million, $1.3 million, and just under $1 million respectively. Opening with an impressive $10 million domestically and seeing only a 39% dip in its second weekend, it defied the standard patterns of most horror movies.
This remarkable success positioned “Talk to Me” as A24’s fifth-highest grossing film globally, inching past Uncut Gems by around $200,000. Other A24 heavy-hitters include Oscar winners “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Moonlight”, as well as “Hereditary” and “Lady Bird”.
Critical Acclaim Meets Commercial Triumph
Under the direction of Australian YouTubers-turned-filmmakers, Danny and Michael Philippou, “Talk to Me” had its debut at the Adelaide Film Festival. Produced on a shoestring budget of $4.5 million, the astounding return on investment was clearly persuasive enough for A24 to greenlight its sequel, “Talk 2 Me”, under the same directors.
For context, in the domestic arena this year, only five horror films outperformed “Talk to Me”: “Scream VI”, “M3GAN”, “Insidious: The Red Door”, “Evil Dead Rise”, and “The Boogeyman”. Notably, among these, only “Talk to Me” stands as a non-IP film, underscoring its unique accomplishment. The cast, including Sophie Wilde, Joe Bird, and others, evidently struck a chord with audiences.
