From the moment the first trailer dropped, it was clear that It was destined to make a massive splash at the box office. With its release timed perfectly for the Halloween season and based on a beloved horror novel by the legendary Stephen King, there was no doubt that audiences would flock to theaters.
Initial predictions estimated a $50 million opening weekend, an impressive figure considering the typically low budget of horror films. As the release date approached, that number climbed to $60 million, and then $70 million.
IT Shatters Expectations and Records
When the dust settled, the numbers were staggering. It raked in a jaw-dropping $117 million during its opening weekend, more than doubling its earliest predictions.
This feat didn’t just break the record for the best opening weekend for a Stephen King adaptation; it annihilated it. It earned nearly six times the amount of its closest competitor, 2007’s 1408. It’s also hot on the heels of The Green Mile‘s record for the highest-grossing Stephen King adaptation, which sits at $136 million—a number that will undoubtedly be left in the dust by next week.
IT Earns Critical Acclaim
Stephen King adaptations aren’t typically known for earning rave reviews from critics. This can be attributed to a general bias against horror films and King’s willingness to sell the rights to his novels to the highest bidder. While some adaptations, like The Shining and The Shawshank Redemption, have defied this trend, they are the exception rather than the rule.
Although its Rotten Tomatoes score dipped slightly from the initial 90% rating, It still boasts a “certified fresh” score of 87%. This puts it on par with other highly-regarded King adaptations, such as The Shawshank Redemption (91%), Stand by Me (91%), and Misery (89%). It even surpasses 1408 and The Mist in terms of critical acclaim.
A Box Office Behemoth
Warner Bros. initially hoped that It would bring in $200 million. The fact that the film has already surpassed its opening weekend predictions by such a wide margin suggests that it will likely exceed that figure by the end of its theatrical run. Coupled with its overseas earnings and relatively small production budget, Warner Bros. is looking at a massive payday for a film that many had dismissed as just another Halloween horror flick.
The Future of IT and Beyond
Regardless of how far It goes at the box office, it’s clear that this is just the beginning for Warner Bros. The sequel, which will cover the second half of the novel not included in the first film, is already slated for a 2019 release. After that, it’s likely that director Andy Muschietti will be given the green light to adapt the Stephen King novel he’s been itching to tackle: Pet Sematary.
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