Longlegs debuted in theaters in the United States on Friday, July 12, 2024, and its impressive opening weekend at the box office was one for the record books. The Neon horror thriller film, directed and written by Osgood Perkins, chronicles the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) search for an occultist serial killer. Agent Lee Harker, played by Makia Monroe, is a new recruit with the FBI who gets assigned to the decades-long case, and during her investigation, Lee comes to realize that she has a personal connection to the murderer (Nicolas Cage’s character in Longlegs).

The 2024 original horror movie was released by Neon, an independent film production and distribution company most known for films such as I, Tonya, Parasite, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Palm Springs, Anatomy of a Fall, and Ferrari. Neon has a spectacular track record for distributing award-winning, critically acclaimed movies, and now, the company is making waves at the box office with Longlegs. With its release, Neon continues to cement its place as a reputable and accomplished film production studio founded only seven years ago.

Longlegs Had Neon’s Biggest Opening Weekend Ever

Longlegs Opened To $22.6 Million

Per Variety, Longlegs grossed $22.6 million over the course of its opening weekend in theaters in the United States. Given that the budget for the Nicolas Cage horror movie was reportedly just under $10 million (plus another estimated $10 million used for marketing), its opening numbers are mightily impressive. Sources estimated that Longlegs would earn around $9 million during its opening, and it more than doubled that projection, a feat that not many films have accomplished. In fact, the horror thriller accumulated $10 million on its first day at the box office, making its earnings all the more shocking.

Longlegs‘ $22.6 million is the biggest opening box office gross for a Neon movie in the history of the film production and distribution company. As mentioned above, Neon was founded more than seven years ago, in early 2017. With around 80 movies released under Neon’s banner, Longlegs‘ record-breaking box office opening is undoubtedly an exciting achievement for the studio and a sign of what is to come from Neon regarding its horror projects (including an exciting horror sequel featuring one of the Longlegs stars).

Longlegs’ Box Office Is Already Better Than Its 2024 Horror Rivals

The Neon Film Has The Best Original Horror Debut Of 2024

Not only was Longlegs‘ opening weekend gross an astonishing accomplishment for Neon, but Nicolas Cage’s new horror movie also broke a record concerning the box office as a whole. Longlegs opened to $22.6 million, the best original horror debut of 2024 so far. A Quiet Place: Day One made $52.2 million during its first weekend in theaters, but it skewed more toward sci-fi survival thriller than horror (and it’s a spin-off and prequel to an established, successful film series). As a result, Longlegs holds the record for the biggest box office opening for an original horror movie in 2024 (emphasis on original).

Longlegs’ Marketing Helped Make It A Can’t-Miss Horror Movie

Longlegs Relied On An Online Marketing Campaign

One of the leading reasons Longlegs had such a strong opening was its clever and unique online marketing campaign, resulting in strong word-of-mouth recommendations among consumers. Neon generated a website to promote the 2024 horror thriller. It features a ’90s (when the film takes place) aesthetic and information about Nicolas Cage’s character’s horrifying murders. The website (The Birthday Murders) also includes a phone number people can call to hear a creepy voice message from Cage as the serial killer antagonist. The Blair Witch Project, which also utilized a fake website to entice viewers, undoubtedly inspired Longlegs to do the same.

The inspired website wasn’t Neon’s only tool in its genius marketing campaign for Nicolas Cage’s 2024 horror movie. Even though Longlegs is not inspired by a real serial killer case, its original and mysterious story was intriguing enough to drive people to see the film in theaters. One of the smartest aspects of the Longlegs trailers, aside from their ability to generally stir suspense, was that they hid Cage’s character. No one can get a good look at him in the teasers, meaning those eager to see Cage as Longlegs must see the movie in theaters.

Great Reviews Increased Anticipation For Longlegs

The 2024 Horror Movie Has An 86% Rotten Tomatoes Score

Of course, critics giving Longlegs raving reviews helped generate hype around the project, resulting in a record-breaking opening at the box office. As of the writing of this article, the 2024 horror thriller has an awe-inspiring 86 percent Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics’ consensus reads:

“Saturated in disquieting mood while leveraging a nightmarishly gonzo performance by Nicolas Cage, Longlegs is a satanic horror that effectively instills panic.”

Many reviews applaud Nicolas Cage’s performance as the serial killer in the horror movie, while also commending Osgood Perkins for his terrific direction and chill-inducing script. Critics claim that Longlegs is unexpected, visceral, addictive, successfully terrifying, fresh, stomach-churning, eerie, and more. Some even assert that Longlegs is one of the best horror movies they have seen in years. Given the film’s high praise, it’s understandable why many were convinced to buy tickets to see Longlegs in theaters during its opening weekend.

How Much Money Longlegs Could Make At The Box Office Now

Longlegs Could Break More Records

It is impossible to predict exactly how much Longlegs will end up grossing at the box office once it finishes its theatrical run. However, based on its preliminary numbers, the 2024 horror thriller film starring Nicolas Cage could easily earn over $100 million. Of course, this depends on how much momentum it has regarding the public’s interest and how long it will be in theaters. Whatever the case, Longlegs is already a success for Neon following its opening weekend due to its $22.6 million box office.

Sources: Variety, The Birthday Murders, Rotten Tomatoes