The Addams Family (1991) is remembered as a smash hit even today, but it was surprisingly outperformed by another Christian Ricci film from the ’90s—Casper. These two spooky films had very different receptions from critics, and though both are remembered fondly a few decades later, it’s The Addams Family movie that many would assume was Ricci’s most profitable horror movie for children. After all, the film received several sequels starring Ricci, while Casper 2 died before production ever started.
Casper, released in 1995, took a fresh approach to the classic cartoon ghost audiences knew and loved. The franchise got its start in 1945 with the theatrical shorts Casper the Friendly Ghost, which led to several comic books and television series throughout the following decades. These were of a significantly different tone than the ’90s film directed by Brad Silberling, which was far darker than what audiences had expected. This led to some poor reviews from critics and a controversial outlook on the plot as a whole. Regardless of this, Casper managed to perform surprisingly well at the box office.
Casper’s $288 Million Box Office Beat The Addams Family’s $191 Million Total
Though the themes of Casper took audiences by surprise, The Addams Family had already established itself as mysterious and spooky long before the 1991 film was released. This allowed for an excellent opening weekend, where it brought in $24 million gross—especially impressive considering its $30 million budget. From there, The Addams Family continued to hold its position at the top of the box office, with a worldwide gross of $191 million ($113 million domestic). Ricci’s performance played a huge part in this. Wednesday Addams became a fast favorite since her character was far more fleshed out than in the 1964 sitcom.
Though The Addams Family‘s worldwide performance is good by ’90s’ standards, Casper blew the film out of the water after its international re-release. Its opening weekend only managed $16 million, and the domestic box office only came to $100 million gross. However, Casper‘s worldwide gross came in at $289 million—nearly $100 million more than The Addams Family. Considering the lower reviews of this Ricci movie, this is somewhat surprising.
Why Casper Surpassed The Addams Family’s Box Office, Despite Worse Reviews
Both The Addams Family and Casper were based on beloved, decades-old TV series, which meant audiences were going to be critical. Though this new version of the Addamses certainly received its fair share of backlash regarding the creative liberties taken by director Barry Sonnenfeld, The Addams Family still managed to hold up to audience expectations. It was a highly anticipated film, which allowed for its great opening weekend, continued success, and various sequels.
Casper, on the other hand, was of an entirely different flavor than the original Casper the Friendly Ghost series, and this was evident from the trailers alone. This could explain the film’s poor opening and domestic numbers. Still, once audiences had a chance to adjust to the darker plot and tragic backstory given to the titular friendly ghost, Casper began to gain traction. Box office numbers (via The Numbers) show a much slower build than The Addams Family. Then, when Casper got its international re-release, it received a whopping additional $188 million gross, much better than The Addams Family‘s $78 million at the international box office.
Casper & The Addams Family’s Huge Box Offices Prove Christina Ricci’s Powerful ’90s Teen Horror Icon Status
Regardless of which of these films had the higher box office numbers, the fact that both are regarded as horror classics today is a testament to Ricci’s talent. The Addams Family had been the actor’s breakout role, and she made Wednesday into a far more memorable character than she had been before. Subsequent adaptations continued this, and, in a way, this makes Ricci responsible for Netflix’s Wednesday as well. She starred in Casper a few years later, further proving that she had a special talent for horror.
Since Casper and The Addams Family, Ricci’s movie and TV roles have continued this trend. Unsurprisingly, she became the go-to for other creepy ’90s movies like Sleepy Hallow, not to mention the Addams Family sequels. Overall, it’s a shame we never saw her in Casper 2, especially since the film’s box office numbers indicate it might have been a worldwide success. Still, it can’t be denied that Ricci was the teen queen of ’90s horror.
