Expect to see A LOT more of this franchise in the coming years.
While we all know that the IT movie that was just released in cinemas around the world is just Chapter One of a two-part story, we wouldn’t be surprised if the clever clogs at Warner Bros. do a little editing of how Stephen King’s original novel ended, and maybe set up the return of Pennywise The Clown for an entire franchise of his own.
Having dunked $35 million into the production budget for the movie, IT has managed to net an estimated $49.6 million in its first day in the US alone, and many have predicted it to make in or around $100 million there for the weekend, and that again in the countries in which it is also screening around the rest of the world.
This would make it the biggest opening day for a horror movie ever, and by the end of the weekend, will have the biggest opening weekend for any horror movie – previous record holder was either Hannibal in 2001 with $58 million, or Paranormal Activity 3 in 2011 with $52.5 million, depending on what you consider to be horror or not.
It also had the biggest opening day for an R-rated movie, but will most likely come in second for the entire weekend to the current record holder, when Deadpool made $132.4 million in its first three days, as IT is currently projected to bank around $101 million in the US once the weekend receipts have been tallied.
Having scored 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, IT is a rare beast – a horror movie loved by audiences and critics – and one of the writers of Chapter One has already signed on to pen the sequel, which is set to take place 27 years later, with tormented kids all grown up and receiving word that Pennywise has returned.
