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Film

Horror movie 'It' breaks records on opening weekend

September 11, 2017

The scary clown movie "It" has become a verified hit with audiences. The horror film, based on a Stephen King novel, broke two box office records and pulled over $117 million in its opening weekend.

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Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise in the film "IT"
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Warner Bros. and RatPac-Dune Entertainment/M. Grob

The creepy clown in the latest film adaptation of Stephen King's "It" is known for trying to lure children into the sewers – but he has proven highly successful at luring crowds to the movie theaters as well.

The movie, made by New Line and Warner Bros, shattered records in its opening weekend, according to industry websites and studio estimates on Sunday.

Read more: Power to the monsters - Why Halloween is a psychological ritual for kids and adults

Earning an estimated $117.2 million (€97.3 million), "It" scored the largest ever opening for a horror movie and the largest September opening of all time. The movie more than doubled the earnings of both previous record holders.

Kino Stephen King Film IT, 2017
'You'll float, too' - Pennywise the clown lures children into the sewers of a sleepy Maine townImage: picture-alliance/Everett Collection/Warner Bros.

"We blew past everyone's most optimistic and aggressive projections and I think there might be room for us to grow this weekend even more," said Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros. president of domestic distribution.

The movie, from Argentine director Andy Muschietti, comes after one of the slowest cinematic summers in years and only cost $35 million to produce.

Prior to the release of "It," the movie "Paranormal Activity 3" had the biggest horror movie opening with $56.6 million in 2011. Previously, the highest September debut was "Hotel Transylvania 2" which garnered $48.5 million its opening weekend in 2015.

Read more: Cult musical 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' remade for TV

A group of kids who call themselves 'The Losers Club' band together in 2017's "It"
A group of kids who call themselves 'The Losers Club' band together after being terrorized by the clownImage: picture-alliance/Everett Collection/Warner Bros.

Cult following for creepy clown

Bill Skarsgard plays the movie's terrifying clown Pennywise, who goes around terrorizing a group of children in a small town in the US state of Maine.

King's novel, which was first published in 1986, was turned into a two-part miniseries in 1990 starring Tim Curry as the clown. The miniseries garnered a cult following in the US.

The latest adaptation is the first part of a planned two-part series. Pennywise will once again return to theaters when the second part premiers in 2019.

rs/jm (AP, AFP)

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