It: Chapter Two to potentially smash horror box office records
By Mads Lennon
When the It Chapter One opened in theaters, it broke tons of records due to its audience and critical acclaim. It Chapter Two is poised to do better.
It Chapter Two opens this weekend, and it will follow the Losers Club as adults. The film is set 27 years after the first movie. Fans of Stephen King’s book know how significant that number is.
27 years is how long it takes for Pennywise to reawaken and feed again. Richie, Beverly, Mike, Eddie, Stanley, Bill, and Ben made a promise at the end of the first movie to return should “It” ever rise again. Well now Pennywise is back, and the Losers must travel back to Derry to defeat It once and for all.
Luckily for the cast and crew, audiences are equally intent on returning to Derry to see how the epic horror story comes to an end. Per CNBC, It (2017) already holds the record for the highest horror movie opening. It made more than $120 million on its first weekend alone and went on to gross $700 million by the end of its run.
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Estimates for Chapter Two’s opening sales are between $105 and $110, with some predicting it may top the first film’s opening weekend sales altogether.
However, the unforeseen hurricane could impact its opening weekend sales. That said, even if the opening weekend declines from its predecessor, odds are the film will still have an incredible theatrical run.
Most movies have a steep drop-off in their second weekend that likely won’t be the case for It Chapter Two.
Despite having a lower critical score than the first film, at 67%, fans are attached to the story. It doesn’t hurt that Chapter Two boasts an incredible repertoire of talent from Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader (who has been dubbed a standout), and more.
CNBC also reports Shawn Robbins (chief analyst at BoxOffice.com) comments on the film’s impending success. “That should help retain a big portion of the audience who turned out two years ago. The lack of any event-level horror releases since earlier this year also means there’s an audience hungry for this kind of movie right now.”
Finally, It Chapter Two has already beat out Chapter One, Us, and even Halloween (2018) to sell the most presale tickets for a horror movie on Fandango.
Even if the movie doesn’t reach incredible new heights, it’s still bound to be a success.
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Did you see It Chapter Two yet? What did you think of it, if so? If not, do you plan on seeing it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
It Chapter Two is now playing in theaters.