After two remarkably dire weekends at the box office, capping off one of the most troubling summers at the movies in years, New Line’sItis giving the multiplex a much needed jolt. As of the end of Friday, including Thursday previews, the latestStephen Kingadaptation had brought in a relatively massive $51 million, eyeing north of $85 million by the end of the weekend. Short of a meteor hitting the Earth, it will remain at the top of the box office through Sunday.
To put this in perspective, the other major opener of the weekend,Home Again, starringReese Witherspoon, is currently holding in number two with $3 million. Witherspoon’s considerable star power is what powers the movie’s mild success, whereas It had both a wildly effective marketing campaign and name recognition for King fans. One should also not discount the fact thatFinn Wolfhard, the ostensible lead ofStranger Things, plays one of the kids and is inarguably one of the major highlights of the movie.
Made for a relatively modest budget of $35 million, It continues a streak of economical, high-concept horror films that have taken the box office by storm this year. One can look at this movie,Get Out,Split, andAnnabelle: Creationas stylish, thrilling, and, in the case ofGet Out, groundbreaking examples of what happens when you give a talented director a reasonable budget and creative freedom. Indeed,Annabelle: Creationremains in the top five today, holding on at number four with $1.2 million, and was made for less than half the cost ofIt.
On the other side of this,The Hitman’s Bodyguard, a thoroughly unremarkable movie, remains in the top five at third place with $1.3 million due solely to the charisma and humor ofRyan ReynoldsandSamuel L. Jackson. Any other two actors take those roles and it probably would have headed into the lower depths a week or two ago. And the same could arguably be said aboutWind River, which took in $970,000 on Friday largely on the steam ofJeremy RennerandElizabeth Olsen, two very good actors who also happen to be Avengers. So, while It is enjoying a mostly deserved place in the sun this weekend, expect some interesting developments next weekend whenmother!, headlined byJennifer LawrenceandJavier Bardem, andAmerican Assassin, headlined byMichael KeatonandDylan O’Brien, comes for its crown.
Here’s your top five for Friday:
Friday Domestic BO
Total Domestic BO
$51,000,000
2. ‘Home Again’
$3,079,203
- ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’
$1,380,000
$61,427,007
4. ‘Annabelle: Creation’
$1,200,000
$93,467,010
5. ‘Wind River’
$22,761,992
