It’s been 27 years since the IT mini series and over 30 since the original novel penned by Stephen King was released. Now, the third incarnation of King’s Clown Horror story may break September’s horror film record on its first day.
Hype for IT has been growing ever since the remake was announced, to the point where Balloons were even popping up attached to sewer drains, a staple of the franchise. If the preview event is any indication, the film will indeed live up to that hype.
Last night, fans got their first chance to see IT, which yielded an astounding $13.7 million in domestic ticket sales for the preview event alone. This alone was enough to break the biggest Thursday night opening ever for a domestic release in September. By all indications, this means IT will destroy the multiple box office record by the end of its first weekend.
The current record holder for the most money made at the box office for a horror film during its opening weekend belongs to Insidious: Chapter 2, which made $41 million at the box office. According to THR, IT is posed to make $40 million or more on Friday (including Thursday night previews). Compare Insidious: Chapter 2’s Thursday night preview, which made $1.5 million, to ITs and you can see why speculation dictates the film will break the record.
Even at its lowest, IT will be poised to at least see a profit, and will certainly help the summer box office, which has seen its worst summer in ticket sales since 2006. All signs point to success for the modern remake of the Stephen King novel, which is a great sign for the somewhat stagnant horror genre.
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