What is the highest-grossing horror film of all time?

Ever wonder why we love to scare ourselves silly? It's a peculiar human trait, isn't it? We pay good money to sit in dark rooms and have the living daylights frightened out of us. But hey, at least with horror movies, you don't have to worry about a masked killer actually chasing you home... right?

The horror genre has been giving us goosebumps for nearly a century now. While 1931's "Dracula" is often credited as the film that truly sank its fangs into horror as we know it, the roots of cinematic scares go back even further. In 1896, Georges Méliès created "Le Manoir du Diable," a three-minute silent film featuring dancing ghosts and a giant bat transforming into Mephistopheles. Talk about old-school frights!

As the decades rolled by, horror evolved faster than a zombie virus. We've seen it all: from the gothic castles of Universal monsters to the suburban nightmares of slasher flicks, from psychological thrillers that mess with your mind to found-footage films that make you question reality. And let's not forget the endless parade of creepy dolls, cursed videotapes, and basements that people really should know better than to explore.

Speaking of exploring, let's take a quick detour down Elm Street, swing by Camp Crystal Lake, and maybe grab a bite at Hannibal's. Horror franchises have become a staple of the genre, serving up sequel after blood-soaked sequel. Who can forget the iconic mask of Michael Myers, the razor-sharp wit of Freddy Krueger, or the...unique dietary preferences of the Sawyer family? These franchises have given us not just nightmares, but enduring icons that have slashed their way into pop culture. How many people do you know who've never uttered "Heeeere's Johnny!" or hummed the ominous "ki ki ki, ma ma ma" from Friday the 13th?

But here's the real shocker: horror isn't just about the scares anymore. It's big business. Some of these fright fests have raked in more cash than a vampire could count in his eternal lifetime. Directors and producers have tapped into our primal fears and turned them into box office gold. From low-budget indie darlings to effects-laden blockbusters, horror films have proven that fear sells – and sells big.

So, grab your popcorn (and maybe a security blanket) as we dive into the world of horror hits. Which spine-chilling spectacle has become the ultimate scream queen of cinema, raking in more money than any other horror film in history?