They all float down here…
And by they, we mean box office records, as IT continues to float by them one by one, completely changing up the game for how people will approach horror movies from now on.
That isn’t something we say lightly – and it helps that the movie itself was actually really good, which we wrote all about here – and it was supported by the genius marketing campaign and the feeling that everyone involved was taking the material very seriously and giving it the respect it deserved.
This might be an actual landmark moment in horror movies, as the trickle down effect will hopefully spawn on other horror movie makers to approach their projects with that same level of respect.
Plus, it is clearly paying off, as IT has managed to break a box office record that has been standing for the last 44 years.
This week, the movie has passed $500 million at the box office, which is rare for the majority of movies to reach, but for a low(ish) budget horror movie to make that kind of bank is practically unheard of.
Previously, the record was held by The Exorcist, when it was released back in 1973.
Now, we’ve got a few different issues with that record:
- This isn’t account for inflation, because The Exorcist made $441 million back in 1973, which in today’s money is the equivalent of $1.8 billion (yes, billion, with a b), so… there’s that.
- And, for whatever reason, The Sixth Sense is not being counted on this list, despite it fundamentally being a horror, and it made $672 million at the worldwide box office when it was released back in 1999.
Regardless, this year IT has already made more money than the blockbuster likes of War For The Planet Of The Apes, Fifty Shades Darker and The Boss Baby.
Sue Kroll, president of worldwide marketing and distribution for Warner Brothers, told Variety:
“Crossing $500 million is rarified air for any film, but for a horror film it is history-making, and we could not be prouder. The filmmakers and cast did more than make a box office hit; they created a communal, must-see moviegoing event that has reverberated around the globe and is still going strong. We congratulate [director] Andy Muschietti, the extraordinary producing team, and everyone involved in IT on reaching this amazing milestone.”
IT: Chapter 2 now has a confirmed release date of 6 September 2019, with The Losers Club returning to Derry after 27 years when word gets out the Pennywise has also come back to town.
