I’d hazard a guess that a good number of horror fans love movies from certain production companies, and the companies know this. Branding is everything, and the logos these companies show at the start of their movies needs to be able to reel in new fans as well as keep the old ones happy. One way to do this is to make a mini movie with it — the scarier, the better (at least, for horror movies anyway). Production company logos are akin to foreplay, and an essential for great films. Here is a list of our favorites!
Scott Free Productions
Known for: Prometheus (2012), Alien: Covenant (2017)
If I had to relate this to any subgenre, I’d say this is definitely a thriller. We have a painted man walking away from something, then slowly running and eventually turning into a bird. I don’t know what the story is here, but there definitely is one, and it’s enticing to try to figure out what is going on. Big thriller energy indeed.
A24
Known for: The Witch (2016), Hereditary (2018), Midsommar (2019), X (2022)
I fucking love A24 and its contributions to horror, mainly in its supply of “Elevated” pieces. While the logo is simple — just the name “A24” — it’s the way they blend it into each movie, making a unique intro every single time.
Twisted Pictures
Known for: Saw (series, 2004-present), Dead Silence (2007)
An OG, Twisted Pictures, in my mind, will always be associated with SAW. And why wouldn’t it be? The series is the cornerstone of the company, so its logo kind of has to match, or at the very least remind us of its roots.
Universal (30s)
Known for: Universal Monsters
I am a Universal fan, and I am just in love with the intros from the 30s. A stop-motion plane flying around the Earth is a perfect representation of how influential they were (and still are) in the film-making sphere. It being stop-motion, and sometimes continuing that style into the Title sequence (as it does for 1932’s The Mummy) is fun and quirky amidst a sea of hazy dream sequence credits that 30s movies are usually guilt of.
Universal (Dark Universe)
Known for: The Mummy (2017), Invisible Man (2020)
And then we bring horror into the 21st century with Universal’s Dark Universe, a place where horror is reinvented for the current generation. Universal is brilliant for making this a thing, and I can only hope that the first few not-so-great films to be part of the Dark Universe don’t spell its downfall.
Warner Brothers/New Line Cinema
Known for: The Conjuring (series, 2013-present)
Simple is good. The Warner Bros./New Line Cinema mash-up for 2013’s The Conjuring is simple, but extremely effective. The droning instrumentals that the series is known for is what you’re looking (or listening) for here, as it tells you exactly what horrors you’re about to witness. Sound is a huge part of what makes horror scary, and this noise makes the hair on the back of my neck stand straight up.
Dark Castle Entertainment
Known for: House on Haunted Hill (1999), Thirteen Ghosts (2001), Orphan (2009)
Dark Castle’s logo perfectly describes the types of movies it makes, especially when it comes to my favorite, House on Haunted Hill. Another logo from my childhood, Dark Castle is about as classic horror as you can get.
Witching Season Films
Known for: They Live Inside Us (2020)
New to the scene, Witching Season Films has made its way onto my radar with its amazing shorts and “vintage Halloween aesthetic” Halloween Atmospheres, and now, feature films. If you want the essence of what Halloween is, this logo right here is it. Trick-o-treaters, pumpkins, and Beistle imagery makes this not only nostalgic, but the heart of horror.
Raven Banner
Known for: Hagazussa (2017), Scare Package (2020), The Sadness (2021),
Raven Banner is almost a sleeper cell with most of its properties (at least for me) coming by way of streaming services as opposed to bigger box office theater releases. Here, sounds and imagery mesh together beautifully, as raven wings flash against a white background and end up showing the whole bird, all while creepy flapping and bird chattering rumbles against your ear drums. I think people forget that birds are actually kind of terrifying, and Raven Banner makes that fact well known.
Digital Thunderdome
Known for: Bad Candy (2020)
I have only seen one movie under this company, 2020’s Bad Candy, but because this stop-motion logo is so entertaining, I’m making it my personal mission to seek out more of its releases. A “clay-mation” skeleton digs its way out of a grave and its skull rolls to a tombstone branded with the company name. Awesome!
Blumhouse (old and new)
Known for: The Lords of Salem (2012), The Purge (series, 2013-present), Insidious (series, 2013-present), Get Out (2017), Halloween (2018, Kills, and Ends)
At this point, Blumhouse is the new Universal in terms of horror, and like the latter, it gets two videos (combined as one because they’re very similar). The first logo is a mash-up of horror imagery (floating furniture, a scary little girl, etc.), while the second is that plus famous characters from its most popular releases. I appreciate how in-your-face the scare factor is, and I also love callbacks to the properties that made it famous.
Ghost House Pictures
Known for: The Grudge (series, 2004-present), Drag Me to Hell (2009), Evil Dead (2013)
In terms of scariness, Ghost House has to be my #1 draft pick and the one that sticks with me the most. By the time the early 2000s rolled around, I was deep into horror movies. When I saw the Ghost House logo on the screen, I knew I would be in for something terrifying. Plus, how cool is it that this itself has a jumpscare door slam?! The movie hasn’t even started and I’m already on edge.
What logos scare you the most? Let us know in the comments!
