John Carpenter: Movies & Box Office
- films
- 94
- as director
- 24
- on screen
- 1969–2025
- box office
- $302M
- average score
- 80
- Born
- January 16, 1948 (age 78)
- Birthplace
- Carthage, New York, U.S.
- Full name
- John Howard Carpenter
- Citizenship
- United States
- Occupations
- Filmmaker, Composer, Actor
- Years active
- 1969-present
- Spouses
- Adrienne Barbeau, Sandy King
- Children
- 1
The Best John Carpenter Movies
The films of John Carpenter that made the most at the worldwide box office, biggest first: Halloween (1978) leads with $47.2M. The full ranking adds the most awarded films and the newest releases.
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Worldwide box office: $47.2M Halloween 1978 · Thriller -
Worldwide box office: $28.7M Starman 1984 · Adventure -
Worldwide box office: $25.5M Escape from L.A. 1996 · Action -
Worldwide box office: $25.3M Escape from New York 1981 · Action -
Worldwide box office: $21.4M The Fog 1980 · Thriller -
Worldwide box office: $21M Christine 1983 · Horror
John Carpenter's Career in Numbers
John Carpenter's films in numbers — as an actor and a director, not counting appearances as themselves: when they were made, the genres John Carpenter works in most and the milestones along the way. The filmography runs from Captain Voyeur (1969) to The Rise of the Synths (2019), and the 1980s were the busiest decade.
John Carpenter Movies by Decade
- 1960s 1
- 1970s 5
- 1980s 10
- 1990s 6
- 2000s 3
- 2010s 4
The 1980s were John Carpenter's busiest decade, with 10 films.
John Carpenter Movies by Genre
- Action 7
- Horror 6
- Thriller 5
- Sci-Fi 5
- Drama 2
- Documentary 1
- Mystery 1
- Adventure 1
- Comedy 1
Action is the genre John Carpenter has worked in most, with 7 films, ahead of horror (6).
John Carpenter Career Milestones
- First film
- Captain Voyeur 1969
- Biggest box office hit
- Halloween $47.2M worldwide
- Newest film
- The Rise of the Synths 2019
John Carpenter Filmography: Every Movie
Every film John Carpenter is credited on, newest first, with the role, the box office and the Movie Echo Score. 24 as director and 5 as actor. Rated films average a score of 80. Re-order the list to see the best-rated films or the biggest hits first.
Movies Directed by John Carpenter
24- 2011
The Ward Thriller Worldwide box office: $5.34M - 2006
Pro-Life Horror - 2005
Cigarette Burns Horror - 2001
Ghosts of Mars Action Worldwide box office: $14M - 1998
Vampires Action Worldwide box office: $20.3M - 1996 Escape from L.A. Action Worldwide box office: $25.5M
- 1995
Village of the Damned Sci-Fi Worldwide box office: $9.42M - 1995
In the Mouth of Madness Mystery Worldwide box office: $8.93M - 1993
Body Bags Sci-Fi - 1992
Memoirs of an Invisible Man Sci-Fi Worldwide box office: $14.4M - 1988
They Live Action Worldwide box office: $13.5M - 1987
Prince of Darkness Horror Worldwide box office: $14.2M - 1986
Big Trouble in Little China Action Worldwide box office: $11.1M - 1984 Starman Adventure Worldwide box office: $28.7M
- 1983 Christine Horror Worldwide box office: $21M
- 1982
The Thing Sci-Fi Worldwide box office: $20.8M - 1981 Escape from New York Action Worldwide box office: $25.3M
- 1980 The Fog Thriller Worldwide box office: $21.4M
- 1979
Elvis Drama - 1978
Someone’s Watching Me! Horror - 1978 Halloween Thriller Worldwide box office: $47.2M
- 1976
Assault on Precinct 13 Action Worldwide box office: $436 - 1974
Dark Star Sci-Fi - 1969
Captain Voyeur Comedy
John Carpenter Movies as an Actor
5
John Carpenter in Documentaries & Specials
65- 2025
The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault as Self · Documentary - 2024
In Search of Darkness: 1990-1994 as Self · Documentary - 2024
Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters as Self · Documentary - 2023
Amityville: An Origin Story as Self · Documentary - 2022
Halloween in Hollywood as Self · Documentary - 2022
In Search of Tomorrow as Self - Interviewee · Documentary Movie Echo Score: 89 - 2021
The History of Metal and Horror as Self · Music - 2021
Biography: ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper as Self · History - 2020
In Search of Darkness: Part II as Self · Horror Movie Echo Score: 70 - 2020
AGFA Mystery Mixtape #4: Follow Your Own Star as Self · Documentary - 2019
1982: Hollywood Summer as Self · Documentary - 2018
Henchman: The Al Leong Story as Self · Documentary - 2018
John Carpenter: Live Retrospective as Self · Music - 2017
Dark Glamour: The Blood and Guts of Hammer Productions as Self - Filmmaker · Documentary - 2016
It Takes a Village: The Making of Village of the Damned as Self · Documentary - 2014
Why Horror? as Self · Documentary - 2011
Charlie Brown: Blockhead’s Revenge as Self/Host · Comedy - 2011
Nightmare Factory as Self · Documentary - 2011
The Original Monster Mash as Self · Music - 2010
Let There Be Light: The Odyssey of Dark Star as Himself (voice) · Sci-Fi - 2010
Halloween: The Inside Story as Self · Documentary - 2010
A History of Horror as Self · Documentary - 2009
The Master’s Touch: Hitchcock’s Signature Style as Self · Documentary - 2009
Nightmares in Red, White and Blue as Self · Horror - 2009
Tales from the Script as Self · Documentary Worldwide box office: $7.54K - 2008
Fantastic Flesh: The Art of Make-Up EFX as Self · Documentary - 2008
In the Master’s Shadow: Hitchcock’s Legacy as Self · Documentary - 2008
Bernard Herrmann: Hitchcock’s Maestro as Self · Documentary - 2008
Partners in Crime: Hitchcock’s Collaborators as Self · Documentary - 2008
Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown as Self · Documentary - 2007
Bloodsucking Cinema as Self · Documentary - 2007
Commemoration: Howard Hawks’ ‘Rio Bravo’ as Self · Documentary - 2006
Big John as Self · Documentary - 2006
Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film as Self · Documentary - 2006
Halloween: 25 Years of Terror as Self · Documentary - 2006
Born to Controversy: The Roddy Piper Story as Self · Documentary - 2005
Hollywood’s Greatest Villains as Self · Documentary - 2004
Hollywood’s Creepiest Creatures as Self · Documentary - 2004
Christine: Fast and Furious as Self · Documentary - 2004
Christine: Ignition as Self · Documentary - 2004
Christine: Finish Line as Self · Documentary - 2004
John Carpenter: The Man and His Movies as Self · Documentary - 2004
100 Scariest Movie Moments as Self · Documentary - 2004
Tales from the Crypt: From Comic Books to Television as Himself · Documentary - 2003
Halloween: A Cut Above the Rest as Self · Horror - 2003
Do You Remember Laurie Zimmer? as Self (voice) · Documentary - 2002
Scoring Resident Evil as Self (archive footage) · Documentary - 2002
Masters of Horror as Self · Documentary - 2001
Red Desert Nights: Making Ghosts of Mars as Self · Horror - 2001
True Hollywood Story: Scream as Self · Documentary - 2001
Dario Argento: An Eye for Horror as Self · Horror - 2000
Scream and Scream Again: A History of the Slasher Film as Self · Tv movie - 2000
Mario Bava: Maestro of the Macabre as Self · Documentary - 2000
The American Nightmare as Self · Documentary - 2000
Guns for Hire: The Making of ‘The Magnificent Seven’ as Self · Documentary - 1999
Halloween: Unmasked as Self · Documentary - 1998
The Thing: Terror Takes Shape as Self · Documentary - 1995
After Sunset: The Life & Times of the Drive-In Theater as Self · Documentary - 1992
Guys and Dolls: Off the Record as Himself / Arvide Abernathy · Documentary - 1991
Fear in the Dark as Self · Documentary - 1990
Horror Cafe as Self · Documentary - 1989
Stephen King’s World of Horror as Self · Documentary - 1988
The Making of ‘They Live’ as Self · Documentary - 1986
Stephen King’s World of Horror as Self · Documentary - 1980
Fear on Film: Inside ‘The Fog’ as Self · Documentary
Who Is John Carpenter?
John Carpenter was born in Carthage, New York, U.S. in 1948 and is 78 years old. Credited on films since 1969, as both an actor and a director. The background, training and the roles that shaped the career.
John Howard Carpenter (born January 16, 1948) is an American filmmaker, composer, and actor. Best known for his work in horror, action, and science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s, Carpenter has been lauded as a master of the horror genre and recognized as a creative genius of raw, fantastic, and spectacular emotions. His early films, such as Halloween (1978), The Fog (1980), Escape from New York (1981), and Starman (1984), achieved both critical and commercial success. Carpenter's other productions from the 1970s and the 1980s, including Dark Star (1974), Assault on Precinct 13 (1976), The Thing (1982), Christine (1983), and Big Trouble in Little China (1986), have been considered cult classics. Carpenter has also composed or co-composed the music in his films, winning a Saturn Award for Best Music for the soundtrack of Vampires (1998) and releasing five studio albums. His work has left a significant impact on the film industry, influencing many filmmakers and contributing to the development of several film genres.
Who John Carpenter Makes Movies With
The actors and directors John Carpenter shares the most films with. George A. Romero comes first, with 10 films together, followed by Jamie Lee Curtis (10).
John Carpenter: Questions & Answers
How many movies John Carpenter has made, the biggest hit, the best-rated film, the award record and more, answered from the filmography above.
How many movies has John Carpenter been in?
John Carpenter is credited on 94 films, from 1969 to 2025. 5 of them as an actor and 24 as a director. The filmography on this page lists every one of them, newest first, with the role and the Movie Echo Score.
What is John Carpenter's highest-grossing movie?
Halloween (1978) is John Carpenter's biggest box office hit, with $47.2M worldwide, ahead of Starman (1984) ($28.7M). Across every film with box office figures, John Carpenter's movies have made $302M.
John Carpenter's biggest hits What is the best John Carpenter movie?
By the Movie Echo Score, which blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact, John Carpenter's best-rated film is In Search of Tomorrow (2022) with a score of 89, followed by In Search of Darkness: Part II (2020) (70).
Best John Carpenter movies, ranked How old is John Carpenter?
John Carpenter is 78 years old, born on January 16, 1948 in Carthage, New York, U.S..
What is John Carpenter's newest movie?
The most recent film on John Carpenter's filmography is The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault (2025), in the role of Self.
Who does John Carpenter work with most often?
John Carpenter shares the most films with George A. Romero (10 films), Jamie Lee Curtis (10 films) and Wes Craven (10 films).
The Best John Carpenter Movies, Ranked
Top rated, most awarded and biggest box office hits from 94 credits.
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