The cinematic craze for bloodthirsty vampires has helped Hollywood rack up more than 7 billion dollars in sales since the launch of the Twilight film franchise threw the trend into high gear, dpa reported Wednesday according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The study estimated that vampire movies - headed by the Twilight films - have taken in some 3 billion dollars in recent years. The latest money earner came this weekend, when the parody film Vampires Suck earned 20 million dollars on its debut.
Television shows such as True Blood and Vampire Diaries, together with the sale of DVDs have earned an additional 1.2 billion dollars, while the sale of an estimated 120 million vampire-themed books has earned the publishing industry a further 1.6 billion dollars.
Merchandising accounted for about 600 million dollars in sales, with porn movies, video games and other vampire-related products racking up an estimated 600 million dollars.
The success of the vampire character reflects its tradition and versatility, said Julie Plec, writer and executive producer of the series The Vampire Diaries.
"By starting with one simple mythological creature that's been part of our literary universe for centuries, you can create a story that has it all: romance, horror, action, special effects, sex, epic love, wish fulfillment, romantic leading men, delicious bad-boy villains, female badasses, damsels in distress, death, monsters and, ultimately, the perfectly flawed hero who would give it all up if it meant they wouldn't have to spend eternity alone," she said.