Box Office Discussion: A Very Palpable "It"

A sequel made a scary amount of money over the weekend--though not as scary as it could have been.



America loves its killer clowns--or at least one killer clown in particular--as It: Chapter Two floated to the top of the box office in its opening weekend, scaring up $91.1 million.  That's the fifth biggest opening for an R-rated movie, behind Deadpools 1 & 2, The Matrix Reloaded, and the first It.  It's also the second-biggest opening for a horror movie.  If there was going to be an It: Chapter Three, I'd be concerned how Chapter Two opened over $30 million under the first It two years ago, but since this is it for It, I'm sure WB will manage to cope.

It accounted for about 65% of the tickets sold this weekend, so everything else finished far, far back.  Dropping to second after two weeks on top is Angel Has Fallen, which took in $6 million.  Its total has risen to $53.5 million.  It's still running ahead of where London Has Fallen was at this point in its run, and looks to be heading to around $65 million.

Coming in third is Good Boys, which brought in another $5.5 million.  The sleeper comedy has now grossed $66.9 million, and looks to be heading to around $80 million.  Incidentally, this is the first weekend where the top 3 were all R-rated titles since this weekend a year ago, when the Top 4 were The Predator, The Nun, A Simple Favor, and White Boy Rick.

Tan Lion Simba took 4th as The Lion King took in another $4.3 million, increasing its summer-best haul to $529.2 million.  Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw came in 5th with $3.8 million, to drive its total to $164.3 million.  In 6th was Christian drama Overcomer, which has developed some not-bad legs.  It took in $3.7 million, for a total of $24.7 million.

Only a tad over $200,000 separates 7th from 11th.  Dora and the Lost City of Gold, which had fallen out of the Top 10 last weekend, jumps back in with $2.4 million.  It's gross now stands at $54.3 million.  The handful of moviegoers who couldn't get into It settled for Ready or Not or Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, both of which finished with $2.3 million.  Ready or not here it came with $25.7 million, while Scary Stories has shocked up $62.1 million.  At $2.2 million, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood came in 10th, denying The Peanut Butter Falcon a spot in the Top 10, after the latter earned $2.1 million over the weekend.  Hollywood is at $134.4 million, while Falcon has $12.1 million, making it one of the more successful indie projects of the summer.

Even with a big drop, It should take the top spot again this weekend ahead of the two wide newcomers.  The drama Hustlers (not to be confused with May's The Hustle) about a group of strippers who rob will likely come in second, while poorly received Oscar bait The Goldfinch will likely open in third.  Will either film mount an unlikely run toward the top?  We'll find out next weekend.