'It' Crushes Box Office Expectations for Record-Breaking $117 Million Opening Weekend

Never underestimate the ability of a clown to scare up an audience. The new adaptation of Stephen [...]

By PopCulture.com Staff - November 8, 2017 03:18 pm EST

Never underestimate the ability of a clown to scare up an audience. The new adaptation of Stephen King's It is blowing past all expectations in its opening weekend at the box office.

It is now projected to earn $117.2 million in its opening weekend from 4,103 locations, becoming only the 47th movie in domestic box office history to open with over $100 million.

That's going to put It's opening weekend neck-and-neck with that of Spider-Man: Homecoming, which earned $117 million during the first weekend of July, and likely making it the third highest opening weekend of 2017, behind Beauty and the Beast and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

It's opening weekend will also crush the box office record for a film opening in Septemeber, previously held by Hotel Transylvania 2 which opened to $48.5 million in 2015, and pas the opening weekend record for a supernatural thriller, previously held by Paranormal Activity 3, which opened to $52.6 million in 2011. It is also the second largest opening weekend for an R-rated film behind last year's Deadpool. Not bad for a movie that was only projected to open to $65-75 million.

It's weekend began with a $51 million Friday, including $13.5 million from early preview screenings on Thursday. That's the third-highest preview night total of 2017, behind Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Beauty and the Beast.

Directed by Andy Muschietti, It is a new cinematic adaptation of Stephen King's 1986 horror novel. The film follows a group of young characters who are haunted by a demonic presence in a small town.

In a distant second place, this weekend is another newcomer, Home Again. The romantic comedy starring Reese Witherspoon is expected to earn $8.6 million from 2,940 locations.

The Hitman's Bodyguard held onto the first place spot for three weeks, almost by default, but now falls to third place. The Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds starring buddy comedy is expected to earn around $4 million, bringing its total to about $64 million.

Annabelle: Creation falls into fourth place after clinging to second for several weeks. The film is the fourth The Conjuring series and jumped the franchise over the $1 billion mark. The film is expected to earn $4.86 million in its fifth weekend, bringing its box office total to $96 million.

Keep reading to see how the top films at the box office this weekend stack up.

1. It

Opening Weekend
Friday: $51 million
Weekend: $117.2 million

Seven young outcasts in Derry, Maine, are about to face their worst nightmare -- an ancient, shape-shifting evil that emerges from the sewer every 27 years to prey on the town's children. Banding together over the course of one horrifying summer, the friends must overcome their own personal fears to battle the murderous, bloodthirsty clown known as Pennywise.

Based on the novel by Stephen King, It is directed by Andy Muschietti and written by Chase Palmer, Cary Fukunaga, and Gary Dauberman. The film stars Jaeden Lieberher and Bill Skarsgård with Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Wyatt Oleff, Chosen Jacobs, Jack Dylan Grazer, Nicholas Hamilton, and Jackson Robert Scott.

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2. Home Again

Opening Weekend
Friday: $3.1 million
Weekend: $8.6 million

Recently separated from her husband, Alice Kinney decides to start over by moving back to Los Angeles with her two daughters. While celebrating her 40th birthday, Alice meets Harry, George and Teddy, three young filmmakers who need a place to live. Complications soon arise when she agrees to let the men stay in her guesthouse temporarily. As Alice develops a budding romance with Harry, her newfound happiness comes crashing down when her ex shows up with a suitcase in his hand.

Home Again is written and directed by Hallie Meyers-Shyer, and stars Reese Witherspoon, Nat Wolff, Jon Rudnitsky, Pico Alexander, Michael Sheen and Candice Bergen.

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3. The Hitman's Bodyguard

Week Four
Last Week: No. 1
Friday: $1.37 millionWeekend: $4.86 million
Total: $64.9 million

The world's top protection agent is called upon to guard the life of his mortal enemy, one of the world's most notorious hit men. The relentless bodyguard and manipulative assassin have been on the opposite end of the bullet for years and are thrown together for a wildly outrageous 24 hours. During their journey from England to the Hague, they encounter high-speed car chases, outlandish boat escapades and a merciless Eastern European dictator who is out for blood.

The Hitman's Bodyguard is directed by Patrick Hughes and written by Tom O'Connor. The film stars Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Gary Oldman and Salma Hayek

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4. Annabelle: Creation

Week Five
Last Week: No. 2Friday: $1.2 million
Weekend: $4.86 million
Total: $96 million

Former toy maker Sam Mullins and his wife Esther are happy to welcome a nun and six orphaned girls into their California farmhouse. Years earlier, the couple lost their 7-year-old daughter Annabelle in a tragic car accident. Terror soon strikes when one of the girls finds a seemingly innocent doll that seems to have a life of its own.

Annabelle: Creation is directed by David F. Sandberg and written by Gary Dauberman. It is a prequel to 2014's Annabelle and the fourth film in The Conjuring series.

Annabelle: Creation stars Stephanie Sigman, Talitha Bateman, Anthony LaPaglia and Miranda Otto.

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5. Wind River

Week Six
Last Week: No. 4Friday: $963,000
Weekend: $3.3 million
Total: $25 million

Wind River is a chilling thriller that follows a rookie FBI agent (Elizabeth Olsen) who teams up with a local game tracker with deep community ties and a haunted past (Jeremy Renner) to investigate the murder of a local girl on a remote Native American Reservation in the hopes of solving her mysterious death.

Written and directed by Taylor Sheridan, Wind River also stars Gil Birmingham, Jon Bernthal, Julia Jones, Kelsey Asbille Chow, Graham Green, Martin Sensmeier, Tyler Laracca, Gerald Tokaia Clifford, Eric Lange, Ian Bohen, Hugh Dillon, and James Jordan.

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