5. The Evil Dead (1981)
Movie Box Office Gross: $2.7 million*
TV Show Spinoff: Ash vs Evil Dead (2015-2018)
Sam Raimi struck gold when he managed to get The Evil Dead made. Not only did he set the bar for horror movies to come, but he spawned a franchise that horror fans love and defend to this day. Not only did the budget movie vastly surpass expectations, but many years later in 2015, it was the inspiration for Ash vs Evil Dead.
The Evil Dead @horrificfx / Pinterest.com | @its_horror / Twitter.com
The concept for the TV show centered around protagonist Ash and his life after the events of the Evil Dead movies. Fans were taken with the idea and the comedy-horror tone, so were rightly disappointed when it ended after three seasons. Still, Raimi has made a fortune out of these much-loved characters.