The Frighteners
“No rest for the wicked.”
Synopsis
Once an architect, Frank Bannister now passes himself off as an exorcist of evil spirits. To bolster his facade, he claims his "special" gift is the result of a car accident that killed his wife. But what he does not count on is more people dying in the small town where he lives. As he tries to piece together the supernatural mystery of these killings, he falls in love with the wife of one of the victims and deals with a crazy FBI agent.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Original TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2026-09-03
Top Cast
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Michael J. Fox
Frank Bannister
Trini Alvarado
Lucy Lynskey
Peter Dobson
Ray Lynskey
John Astin
The Judge
Jeffrey Combs
Milton Dammers
Dee Wallace
Patricia Bradley
Jake Busey
Johnny Bartlett
Chi McBride
Cyrus
Jim Fyfe
Stuart
Troy Evans
Sheriff Perry
Julianna McCarthy
Old Lady Bradley
R. Lee Ermey
Hiles
Elizabeth Hawthorne
Magda Rees-Jones
Angela Bloomfield
Debra Bannister
Desmond Kelly
Harry Sinclair
Jonathan Blick
Steve Bayliss
Todd Rippon
Deputy
John Sumner
Deputy
Release History & Theatrical Window
July 19, 1996
Wide Cinema Exhibition
August 27, 1997
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$30M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$29.4M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.98x
-$641K deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Peter Jackson
- Screenplay & Story
- Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh
- Original Score
- Danny Elfman
- Original Title
- The Frighteners
- Country of Origin
- New Zealand, United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 50m
- Production Budget
- $30M
- Worldwide Gross
- $29.4M
- Production Studios
- WingNut Films, Universal Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Peter Jackson
Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh
Danny Elfman
Alun Bollinger, John Blick
Jamie Selkirk
Peter Jackson, Jamie Selkirk, Robert Zemeckis
Department Leadership Roster
Peter Jackson
Screenplay
Alun Bollinger
Director of Photography
Jamie Selkirk
Editor
Fran Walsh
Screenplay
Peter Jackson
Director
John Blick
Director of Photography
Danny Elfman
Original Music Composer
Grant Major
Production Design
Barbara Darragh
Costume Design
Wes Takahashi
Visual Effects Supervisor
Peter Jackson
Producer
Jamie Selkirk
Producer
Bruce brown
Stunt Coordinator
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.
FSK 18 — Restricted to adults 18 and older.
Interdit aux moins de 12 ans — 12+ only.
Suitable only for 15 years and over.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Frighteners.
Featured In Curated Collections
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Frighteners
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Frighteners about?
Once an architect, Frank Bannister now passes himself off as an exorcist of evil spirits. To bolster his facade, he claims his "special" gift is the result of a car accident that killed his wife. But what he does not count on is more people dying in the small town where he lives. As he tries to piece together the supernatural mystery of these killings, he falls in love with the wife of one of the victims and deals with a crazy FBI agent.
Who directed The Frighteners?
The Frighteners was directed by Peter Jackson.
Who stars in The Frighteners?
The principal cast of The Frighteners includes Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, Peter Dobson, John Astin, Jeffrey Combs.
When was The Frighteners released and how long is it?
The Frighteners was released in 1996 with a total runtime of 1h 50m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Frighteners?
The Frighteners had a reported production budget of $30M and grossed $29.4M at the worldwide box office (0.98 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for The Frighteners?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Frighteners was composed by Danny Elfman.
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Frighteners?
The Frighteners holds official age classifications: AU: M (Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.); DE: 18 (FSK 18 — Restricted to adults 18 and older.); FR: 12 (Interdit aux moins de 12 ans — 12+ only.); GB: 15 (Suitable only for 15 years and over.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).