Claim: House of 1000 Corpses had a theatrical release in 2003.

House of 1000 Corpses is a 2003 American exploitation horror film written , co-scored and directed by Rob Zombie in his directorial debut . The film stars Sid Haig , Bill Moseley , Sheri Moon , and Karen Black as members of the Firefly family . Set on Halloween , the film sees the Firefly family torturing and mutilating a group of teenagers who are traveling across the country writing a book . The film explores a number of genres , and features elements of the supernatural . Zombie cited American horror films The Texas Chain Saw Massacre -LRB- 1974 -RRB- and The Hills Have Eyes -LRB- 1977 -RRB- as influences on House of 1000 Corpses , as well as other films released during the 1970s .   Initially filmed in 2000 , House of 1000 Corpses was purchased by Universal Pictures , thus a large portion of it was filmed on the Universal Studios backlots . The film was made with a budget of $ 7 million . Zombie worked with Scott Humphrey on the score of the film . House of 1000 Corpses featured a graphic amount of blood and gore , and controversial scenes involving masturbation and necrophilia . The project was ultimately shelved by the company prior to its release due to fears of an NC-17 rating . Zombie later managed to re-purchase the rights to the work , eventually selling it to Lions Gate Entertainment . The film received a theatrical release on April 11 , 2003 , nearly three years after filming had concluded .   House of 1000 Corpses received a generally negative reaction following its release . The film was critically panned , with the film 's various side-plots and main cast being criticized by multiple critics . The film earned over $ 3 million in its opening weekend , and would later go on to gross over $ 16 million worldwide . Despite its initial negative reception , the film went on to develop a cult following . Zombie later directed the film 's sequel , The Devil 's Rejects -LRB- 2005 -RRB- , in which the Firefly family are on the run from the police . Zombie later developed a haunted house attraction for Universal Studios Hollywood based on the film . This would be the final film performance of Dennis Fimple , before his death in August 2002 . The film was dedicated to his memory .