Can’t stopIt. Won’t stopIt. After a monster weekend for the horror film, surpassing even the most extreme estimates with a tally of $123.4 million domestically and another $66.3 million from foreign box offices in its opening frame,Itshows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Warner Bros. has now reported that the Tuesday ticket sales forAndrés Muschietti’s adaptation ofStephen King’s classic tome have also set another pair of records.
Ittook in another $11.4 million from Tuesday alone. (Tuesday! Who goes to the movies on a Tuesday?! Smart people, that’s who.) This is more than the studio’s previous record holders for a horror film on a Tuesday–The Conjuringwith $5.6 million–and the largest Tuesday in September–Sullywith $4.8 million–combined. Pretty impressive. However, it should be noted that non-Warner Bros. filmThe Omen(2006) notched $12.6 million on a Tuesday … June 6th, 2006 to be precise. It’s also strange that WB left outI Am Legend, a sci-fi/horror film which took in $9.8 million on a (Christmas!) Tuesday back in 2007, but I digress. (Figures viaBox Office Mojo.)
Looking ahead to this weekend’s frame,Itshould be in pretty good shape to continue its winning ways.Darren Aronofsky’smother!opens this Friday, and itsbuzzy status,high-powered leads inJennifer LawrenceandJavier Bardem, and general WTF nature may make it a contender for the box office crown. (ReadBrian Formo’sreview out of Venice here.) However, Aronofsky’s last filmNoahwas the biggest box office opener for the writer-director by far, taking in more than $43.7 million domestically on what’s a pretty straightforward story that also hooked the religious demographic.mother!is … not that.
Also opening this weekend isMichael Cuesta’s action-thrillerAmerican AssassinstarringDylan O’Brien,Michael Keaton, andSanaa Lathan.Critics have not been kind to this one, but there still seems to be audience interest in the counterterrorism tale. Perhaps the difference in genres will be enough to giveAAa box office boost. But will it be enough to dethroneIt? I’d be surprised.
And for more onIt, be sure to take a look at some of our recent write-ups here:
