Jack Black’s 2018 horror comedy movie The House with a Clock in Its Walls has become a streaming hit on HBO Max, seven years after its theatrical release. The film made $131.5 million at the box office, recouping its costs three times over. This diverting tale of a house full of magical objects also stars Cate Blanchett alongside Black.
Novelist John Bellairs originally came up with the story for The House with a Clock in Its Walls in his 1973 book of the same name, before Supernatural creator Eric Kripke turned it into the movie’s screenplay. Having previously appeared on Netflix, the 2018 comedy film is now a streaming hit after arriving on HBO Max in late June.
The House With A Clock In Its Walls Is Now In HBO’s Global Top 10 Movies
It’s Reached Number 9 On The Chart
Soon after its debut on Max, The House with a Clock in Its Walls reached number nine on the HBO streaming platform’s global chart on Monday, June 30, 2025. As of July 3, it’s at 10th place in the chart – one of just two horror movies in the top 10, along with It Feeds at number 2.
Family comedies tend to do particularly well on streaming during the summer’s biggest holiday in the United States.
The House with a Clock in Its Walls appeared to be a long-forgotten Jack Black movie from the previous decade. Yet it’s now a rare case among family-friendly horror comedies of a film made primarily for Halloween becoming a major small-screen hit at the beginning of summer.
The 4th of July holiday weekend may well help secure the movie’s place in Max’s top 10 for even longer. Family comedies tend to do particularly well on streaming during the summer’s biggest holiday in the United States.
Our Take On The House With A Clock In Its Walls Becoming A Global Streaming Hit
Jack Black’s Brand Of Comedy Gives This Horror Flick Its Pulling Power
This newfound streaming success that The House with a Clock in Its Walls is experiencing demonstrates once again that family comedy is one of Jack Black’s strongest genres as an actor. Black is already synonymous with classic family laugh-fests like School of Rock and Kung Fu Panda.
This latest achievement on the small screen reveals that his comedic pulling power is still as strong as it ever was. There’s more to his 2018 horror-comedy than just the laughs, though.
As the ending of The House with a Clock In Its Walls makes clear, the movie features a sensitively crafted subtext about dealing with grief and loss as a child. This subplot gives it added appeal for older children, as well as parents and guardians looking to acclimate their children to this touchy subject matter.
The House with a Clock in Its Walls is unquestionably worth a watch for families with children younger than 12 years old. It’s funny, charming, and spooky in equal measure, while at the same time handling a difficult topic with care and compᴀssion.
