If The Dark Tower was dead on arrival (our review), scoring a paltry $19 million in its opening weekend on domestic soil, then 2017’s other high-profile Stephen King adaptation, It, is poised for a potentially record-breaking box office splash in a few weeks’ time.
Initial tracking suggested that Andy Muschietti’s long-anticipated horror reboot looked set for a huge $50 million opening weekend in the United States. While that’s certainly nothing to scoff at, estimates have now been adjusted and according to The Wrap, it’s looking like It may actually rake in $60 million on home turf. A hugely impressive number for a film of this nature, it would easily put the adaptation at the #1 spot for biggest opening for a Stephen King movie, a title currently held by 1408‘s $20 million haul. Not only that, but $60 million would also give It the biggest domestic opening ever in the month of September.
That projection may seem ambitious, but after the film’s creepy first teaser racked up a staggering 200 million views in the space of 24 hours, the studio has a right to be confident. Besides, if early buzz from review screenings is positive – and we’re inclined to believe it will be – then that $60 million ceiling suddenly won’t look so far out of reach. The lack of strong competition will surely work in the movie’s favor, too, while the recently-announced IMAX rollout – Pennywise…in IMAX – will only help fan the flames of excitement.
Looking at the genre as a whole, and the current biggest opening for an R-rated horror flick goes to Hannibal with $58 million while the largest opening for any horror film is a record that sits with I Am Legend and its $77 million haul. While it’s unlikely that It will top that, it definitely has the potential to beat out the aforementioned Silence of the Lambs sequel and even if it doesn’t, it’s probably safe to say at this point that the studio has a big hit on their hands here.
It Part 1 – The Losers Club will float all the way into theaters on September 8th. A sequel is purportedly on the cards, which would see those pint-sized adventurers confront Pennywise as adults. That being said, New Line is yet to officially issue the green light just yet, but these early signs are very promising indeed.
