Box Office(Mojo) by Genre

I found the following data (for US box office) at https://secure.boxofficemojo.com/genres/chart/?id=slasher.htm (accessed online 8.4.10 - always worth noting as online material can alter!); it should help you justify the choice of genre in terms of its established box office appeal (though you'll also need some UK box office examples).

Horror - Slasher

1978-Present
Note: Many slasher movies from the '70s and '80s have no box office records, and, hence, do not appear on this chart.
TOTAL GROSSES | OPENING WEEKENDS

Rank	Title (click to view)	Studio	Lifetime Gross / Theaters		Opening / Theaters		Date
1	Scream	Dim.	$103,046,663	1,994	$6,354,586	1,413	12/20/96
2	Scream 2	Dim.	$101,363,301	2,688	$32,926,342	2,663	12/12/97
3	Scream 3	Dim.	$89,143,175	3,467	$34,713,342	3,467	2/4/00
4	Freddy Vs. Jason	NL	$82,622,655	3,014	$36,428,066	3,014	8/15/03
5	The Texas Chainsaw Massacre	NL	$80,571,655	3,018	$28,094,014	3,016	10/17/03
6	I Know What You Did Last Summer	Sony	$72,586,134	2,524	$15,818,645	2,524	10/17/97
7	Friday the 13th (2009)	WB (NL)	$65,002,019	3,105	$40,570,365	3,105	2/13/09
8	Halloween (2007)	MGM/W	$58,272,029	3,475	$26,362,367	3,472	8/31/07
9	Halloween: H20	Dim.	$55,041,738	2,669	$16,187,724	2,607	8/7/98
10	My Bloody Valentine 3-D	LGF	$51,545,952	2,534	$21,241,456	2,534	1/16/09
11	A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master	NL	$49,369,899	1,767	$12,833,403	1,765	8/19/88
12	When a Stranger Calls	SGem	$47,860,214	3,004	$21,607,203	2,999	2/3/06
13	Halloween	CIP	$47,000,000	-	n/a	-	10/25/78
14	A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors	NL	$44,793,222	1,383	$8,880,555	1,343	2/27/87
15	Prom Night (2008)	SGem	$43,869,350	2,821	$20,804,941	2,700	4/11/08
16	I Still Know What You Did Last Summer	Sony	$40,002,112	2,473	$16,520,038	2,443	11/13/98
17	Friday the 13th (1980)	Par.	$39,754,601	-	$5,816,321	1,100	5/9/80
18	The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning	NL	$39,517,763	2,820	$18,508,228	2,820	10/6/06
19	Urban Legend	Sony	$38,072,438	2,257	$10,515,444	2,257	9/25/98
20	Friday the 13th Part III	Par.	$36,690,067	1,079	$9,406,522	1,079	8/13/82
21	Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare	NL	$34,872,033	1,862	$12,966,525	1,862	9/13/91
22	Psycho II	Uni.	$34,725,000	1,488	$8,310,244	1,448	6/3/83
23	Halloween II (2009)	W/Dim.	$33,392,973	3,088	$16,349,565	3,025	8/28/09
24	Child's Play	UA	$33,244,684	1,490	$6,583,963	1,377	11/11/88
25	Friday the 13th: Final Chapter	Par.	$32,980,880	1,600	$11,183,148	1,594	4/13/84
26	Bride of Chucky	Uni.	$32,383,850	2,467	$11,830,855	2,412	10/16/98
27	House of Wax	WB	$32,064,800	3,111	$12,077,236	3,111	5/6/05
28	Halloween: Resurrection	Dim.	$30,354,442	2,094	$12,292,121	1,954	7/12/02
29	A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge	NL	$29,999,213	614	$2,865,475	522	11/1/85
30	Child's Play 2	Uni.	$28,501,605	2,017	$10,718,520	1,996	11/9/90
31	Candyman	TriS	$25,792,310	1,500	$5,404,320	1,251	10/16/92
32	Halloween II	Uni.	$25,533,818	-	$7,446,508	1,211	10/30/81
33	A Nightmare on Elm Street	NL	$25,504,513	380	$1,271,000	165	11/9/84
34	A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child	NL	$22,168,359	1,902	$8,115,176	1,902	8/11/89
35	Friday the 13th - Part V	Par.	$21,930,418	1,759	$8,032,883	1,759	3/22/85
36	Friday the 13th Part 2	Par.	$21,722,776	-	$6,429,784	1,350	4/30/81
37	Urban Legends: Final Cut	Sony	$21,468,807	2,539	$8,505,513	2,539	9/22/00
38	Psycho (1998)	Uni.	$21,456,130	2,489	$10,031,850	2,477	12/4/98
39	When a Stranger Calls	Col.	$21,411,158	-	n/a	-	9/28/79
40	Valentine	WB	$20,384,136	2,310	$10,024,648	2,310	2/2/01
41	Friday the 13th Part VI	Par.	$19,472,057	1,610	$6,750,837	1,610	8/1/86
42	Friday the 13th Part VII	Par.	$19,170,001	1,796	$8,245,038	1,796	5/13/88
43	Wes Craven's New Nightmare	NL	$18,090,181	1,873	$6,667,118	1,850	10/14/94
44	Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers	Gal.	$17,768,757	1,692	$6,831,250	1,679	10/21/88
45	Seed of Chucky	Rog.	$17,083,732	2,062	$8,774,520	2,061	11/12/04
46	Shocker	Uni.	$16,554,699	1,795	$4,510,990	1,783	10/27/89
47	The Hitcher (2007)	Rog.	$16,472,961	2,836	$7,818,239	2,831	1/19/07
48	Black Christmas (2006)	MGM/W	$16,273,581	1,544	$3,723,364	1,544	12/25/06
49	Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday	NL	$15,935,068	1,355	$7,552,190	1,355	8/13/93
50	Wrong Turn	Fox	$15,418,790	1,615	$5,161,498	1,615	5/30/03
51	Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers	Dim.	$15,116,634	1,679	$7,308,529	1,679	9/29/95
52	See No Evil	LGF	$15,032,800	1,270	$4,581,233	1,257	5/19/06
53	Child's Play 3	Uni.	$14,960,255	2,130	$5,718,940	2,126	8/30/91
54	Prom Night	Emb	$14,796,236	-	n/a	-	8/15/80
55	Psycho III	Uni.	$14,481,606	1,408	$3,238,400	1,408	7/4/86
56	Halloween III: Season of the Witch	Uni.	$14,400,000	1,328	$6,333,259	1,297	10/22/82
57	Friday the 13th Part VIII	Par.	$14,343,976	1,683	$6,251,310	1,683	7/28/89
58	Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh	Gram.	$13,940,383	1,605	$6,046,825	1,605	3/17/95
59	Visiting Hours	Fox	$13,258,670	1,176	$5,250,157	1,176	5/28/82
60	Jason X	NL	$13,121,555	1,879	$6,649,006	1,878	4/26/02
61	April Fool's Day	Par.	$12,947,763	1,202	$3,373,779	1,202	3/28/86
62	Sorority Row	Sum.	$11,965,282	2,665	$5,059,802	2,665	9/11/09
63	Halloween 5	Gal.	$11,642,254	1,495	$5,093,428	1,483	10/13/89
64	The House on Sorority Row	FVI	$10,604,986	153	$617,661	153	1/21/83
65	National Lampoon's Class Reunion	Fox	$10,054,150	1,125	$3,086,525	1,121	10/29/82
66	Cry Wolf	Rog.	$10,047,674	1,789	$4,428,209	1,789	9/16/05
67	Dr. Giggles	Uni.	$8,403,433	1,683	$2,714,815	1,681	10/23/92
68	Deadly Blessing	MGM	$8,279,042	-	n/a	-	8/14/81
69	The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2	Can.	$8,025,872	1,474	$2,822,439	1,474	8/22/86
70	Motel Hell	MGM	$6,342,668	-	$1,924,776	757	10/24/80
71	The Hitcher	TriS	$5,844,868	794	$2,134,214	794	2/21/86
72	Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III	NL	$5,765,562	1,107	$2,692,087	1,107	1/12/90
73	My Bloody Valentine (1981)	Par.	$5,672,031	-	n/a	-	2/11/81
74	Student Bodies	Par.	$5,165,432	-	$1,582,148	628	8/7/81
75	He Knows You're Alone	MGM	$4,875,436	-	$748,824	279	8/29/80
76	Popcorn	Stu3	$4,205,000	1,055	$2,563,365	1,055	2/1/91
77	976-Evil	NL	$2,955,917	251	$794,049	251	3/24/89
78	Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II	Gold.	$2,683,519	343	$911,351	343	10/16/87
79	Silent Night, Deadly Night	TriS	$2,491,460	398	$1,432,800	398	11/9/84
80	The Horror Show	MGM	$1,738,897	444	$773,348	444	4/28/89
81	Slumber Party Massacre 3	Conc	$1,242,995	81	$270,135	81	9/7/90
82	Return to Horror High	NW	$1,189,709	227	$198,533	227	1/9/87
83	Eyes of a Stranger	WB	$1,118,634	-	$546,724	180	3/27/81
84	Maniac Cop	SGE	$671,382	50	$188,348	50	5/13/88
86	Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre	Lions	$185,898	27	$28,235	27	9/22/95
85	Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation	Lions	$185,898	23	$53,111	23	8/29/97
87	Hatchet	Anch.	$175,281	93	$100,358	93	9/7/07
88	Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon	Anch.	$69,136	72	$38,500	72	3/16/07
TOTAL (All Movies):			$2,196,259,013	-	-	-	-
AVERAGE (All Movies):			$24,957,489	1,451	$8,132,036	1,581	-
TOTAL (Wide Releases Only):			$1,944,887,590	-	-	-	-
AVERAGE (Wide Releases Only):			$30,871,232	1,986	$10,519,115	1,909	-