Longlegs has hit a couple of impressive milestones five weeks into its theatrical run. Neon’s R-rated horror film has rung up more than $100 million globally, including $72 million domestically. It now sits as the highest-grossing independent film of 2024 as well as the top independent horror film of the past 10 years.
Starring Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage, Longlegs is the biggest-grossing R-rated horror film year of the year. In addition, it’s the highest-grossing movie in Neon’s history.
“In pursuit of a serial killer, an FBI agent uncovers a series of occult clues that she must solve to end his terrifying killing spree,” reads Neon’s synopsis. Maika Monroe stars as FBI Agent Lee Harker, and an unrecognizable Nicolas Cage plays the titular character, a twisted serial killer. Alicia Witt, Kiernan Shipka, and Blair Underwood also star.
Written and directed by Osgood Perkins, Longlegs was produced by Dave Caplan of C2, Dan Kagan of Traffic, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones from Range, Nicolas Cage under his Saturn Films banner, and Chris Ferguson of Oddfellows. C2 financed the film.
Neon picked up the film at the 2023 EFM in Berlin, and much of its success can be credited to its marketing campaign on social media. Influencers and cryptic ads drew in horror fans, and keeping Nicolas Cage’s appearance hidden until the film was released proved to be a tantalizing teaser.
Next up for Perkins is The Monkey, based on the Stephen King short story. The Monkey, starring Theo James (The White Lotus), Tatiana Maslany (She–Hulk: Attorney at Law), Elijah Wood (Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency), and Christian Convery (Sweet Tooth), will open in theaters on February 21, 2025. Perkins also recently wrapped up production on Keeper with Maslany and Rossif Sutherland.
