It Devours Competition with Record-Breaking $117 Million Opening
by Brad Brevet
September 10, 2017


With a monster, $117 million opening weekend Warner Bros. and New Line's It has delivered a record-breaking opening, breathing a little life back into the slumping domestic box office.

The film has claimed the largest September opening, largest Fall opening, the largest opening for an R-rated horror film, not to mention the largest opening weekend for a horror film of any MPAA rating, and tops Open Road's new release Home Again in second place by nearly $110 million.

Overall, the film accounted for more than 75% of the combined gross for the weekend's top twelve, and we've only just begun.







With an estimated $117 million, WB and New Line's It, an adaptation of the acclaimed Stephen King novel, claimed the weekend's #1 spot with ease, besting Open Road's new release of Home Again in second place by nearly $110 million, the fifth largest gap between first and second place all-time.

The film also dusted the previous opening weekend record for an R-rated horror film, more than doubling Paranormal Activity 3's previous record of $52.5 million. In fact, It is already the fifth highest grossing R-rated horror film all-time after just three days in release.

It received a "B+" CinemaScore and brought in an estimated $62 million from 46 international markets.







In second place is Open Road's Home Again, which brought in an estimated $9 million from 2,940 locations.

Home Again scored a "B" CinemaScore from opening day audiences.







Lionsgate's The Hitman's Bodyguard finished in third with an estimated $4.85 million, down 54% from last weekend.

The film's domestic cume now stands just shy of $65 million.







Warner Bros. and New Line also claimed fourth place on this weekend's chart with Annabelle: Creation now in its fifth week of release.

Dropping 47% this weekend the film delivered an estimated $4 million as its domestic cume climbs to $96.2 million, soon to become the only August 2017 release to cross $100 million domestically.







Rounding out the top five is the Weinstein Co.'s Wind River.

The film dropped 49% compared to last weekend, finishing with an estimated $3.2 million for a domestic cume topping $25 million.







Elsewhere, Spider-Man: Homecoming remains in the top ten in its tenth weekend in release with a domestic cume that now totals $327.7 million.

The film's international cume got a big bump this weekend as it opened in China with an estimated $70.8 million, pushing its international total to $495.3 million. The film's worldwide total now stands at $823 million, making it the second largest Spider-Man release all-time behind Spider-Man 3 which finished with $890.9 million globally back in 2007.







Speaking of international totals, Universal and Illumination's Despicable Me 3 entered the weekend as the third 2017 release to top $1 billion worldwide.

The film added another $6.2 million to that international total as its current worldwide cume reaches $1.006 billion, the third largest worldwide release of 2017.







WB's Wonder Woman brought in an estimated $662k this weekend and it has now crossed $410 million domestically.

It's now the fifth largest superhero release of all-time, pushing Iron Man 3 to sixth with $409 million.







In limited release IFC's Rebel in the Rye opened with $44,280 from four theaters ($11,070 PTA); China Lion's Twenty Two brought in an estimated $20k from 11 locations ($1,818 PTA); and The Orchard's Trophy opened with $3,474 in one theater.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=4323&p=.htm









September 8-10, 2017 Weekend Studio Estimates:


1. It $117,150,000
2. Home Again $9,028,222
3. The Hitman's Bodyguard $4,850,000 / $64,897,007
4. Annabelle: Creation $4,000,000 / $96,267,010
5. Wind River $3,210,200 / $25,002,192
6. Leap! $2,500,100 / $15,874,536
7. Spider-Man: Homecoming $2,015,000 / $327,702,794
8. Dunkirk $1,950,000 / $183,110,279
9. Logan Lucky $1,826,425 / $25,228,666
10. The Emoji Movie $1,060,000 / $82,516,858

The biggest surprise isn't the news about "It".

The biggest surprise is that "The Emoji Movie" is still in the top 10.

My daughter and I are going to see It this afternoon, can't wait!

It Remains #1 with $60M Second Weekend, Floating to September Record
by Brad Brevet
September 17, 2017


After just eight days in release, WB and New Line's It became the highest grossing September release of all-time, two days later it added another $40 million to that total for an impressive $60 million second weekend and nearly $220 million in just ten days.

The horror film's performance vastly overshadowed the weekend's two new wide releases that saw Lionsgate and CBS Films's American Assassin deliver respectable results in second place while Paramount's release of Darren Aronofsky's mother! suffered greatly, finishing in third and receiving a disastrous "F" CinemaScore from opening day audiences.







With an estimated $60 million this weekend, WB and New Line's It brought its domestic cume to $218.7 million after just ten days in release.

The film is now just $14.2 million shy of becoming the largest R-rated horror film of all-time as it will soon top The Exorcist's $232.9 million domestic total (not adjusted for inflation).

The film is also delivering big numbers internationally where It opened in ten more overseas markets this weekend for a total of 56 where it grossed an estimated $60.3 million. The international cume currently stands at $152.6 million for a global tally north of $370 million.







In second place is Lionsgate's release of CBS Films's American Assassin, which brought in an estimated $14.8 million from 3,154 locations, which puts it just ahead of Mojo's weekend forecast.

It's a decent debut for the film, which also received a "B+" CinemaScore from opening day audiences of which 55% were male vs. 45% female with 29% of the overall audience coming in under the age of 35.

American Assassin also opened in 41 markets internationally where it grossed an estimated $6.2 million.





Third place went to Darren Aronofsky's mother!, which not only opened with a supremely disappointing $7.5 million from 2,368 locations, but became one of only 19 films to ever receive an "F" CinemaScore suggesting a 60+% drop next weekend and a short-lived theatrical experience.

The overall audience was 44% male vs. 56% female, of which 18% were under the age of 25. For star Jennifer Lawrence this is her worst wide debut ever, falling almost $5 million shy of her much-maligned September 2012 thriller House at the End of the Street, which debuted with $12.2 million despite an 11% rating on RottenTomatoes compared to the 68% rating for mother!.

Internationally, mother! opened in 16 markets where it brought in an estimated $6 million.







Fourth place went to Reese Witherspoon's Home Again, delivering a better than expected hold, dropping 38% for an estimated $5.3 million second weekend.

The domestic cume is now $17.1 million.







Rounding out the top five was another Lionsgate hitman feature, this one The Hitman's Bodyguard, which has held on well over five weeks in release.

This weekend it dipped just 26% and delivered an estimated $3.55 million as the $30 million production has now topped $70.3 million domestically.







Elsewhere, WB and New Line continue to hold on well with Annabelle: Creation, which is now just $100k shy of becoming the only August 2017 release to top $100 million domestically.

The fourth film in The Conjuring franchise added an estimated $2.6 million this weekend for a domestic cume of $99.9 million. Added to an international total of $191.2 million, the film's global tally is nearing $300 million.







Topping the weekend's limited releases is Annapurna's release of Amazon's Brad's Status, which debuted in four theaters with an estimated $100,179 ($25,045 PTA).

The film will expand into 450 locations next weekend.







Additionally, Ex Libris brought in an estimated $11,175 from one location; Cohen Media's release of Red Trees opened with an estimated $10,012 from nine locations ($1,112 PTA); Music Box's Manolo opened with $7,440 from three theaters ($2,480 PTA); FilmRise's release of Nic Cage's Vengeance: A Love Story opened in nine theaters with $5,000 ($556 PTA); and FilmRises's Dayveon opened with $2,000 in three theaters ($667 PTA).

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=4325&p=.htm









September 15-17, 2017 Weekend Studio Estimates:


1. It $60,000,000 / $218,710,619
2. American Assassin $14,800,000
3. mother! $7,500,000
4. Home Again $5,334,160 / $17,135,244
5. The Hitman's Bodyguard $3,550,000 / $70,357,040
6. Annabelle: Creation $2,600,000 / $99,900,361
7. Wind River $2,553,586 / $29,122,401
8. Leap! $2,117,930 / $18,659,716
9. Spider-Man: Homecoming $1,875,000 / $330,262,248
10. Dunkirk $1,305,000 / $185,141,652

I don't think Mother flopped at all. The movie placed in the Top 3 at least.

Weekend #1 Up for Grabs as Record September at the Box Office Comes to an End
by Brad Brevet
October 1, 2017


As a record September comes to an end, it's a race for number one with three films separated by a mere $310k. Based on estimates, it's a return to #1 for WB and New Line's It, but hot on its heels is Universal's American Made along with Fox's Kingsman: The Golden Circle.

Otherwise, Sony's Flatliners debuted on life support, Novus's 'Til Death Do Us Part found its way into the top ten and Pure Flix's A Question of Faith finished on the outside looking in.







With just over $300k separating number one and number three on this weekend's box office chart, first place currently belongs to WB and New Line's It, which is back on top after last weekend saw the killer clown finish in the runner up position.

With an estimated $17.3 million, the record-breaking horror has now topped $291 million domestically and will spend Sunday enjoying its third weekend out of four atop the weekend box office as we wait for weekend actuals to arrive on Monday afternoon.

The film also brought in an estimated $35.6 million overseas this weekend bringing its international cume to $262 million for a $553.1 million global tally.







Currently in second place is Universal's release of American Made starring Tom Cruise and directed by Doug Liman. The R-rated adult-targeted film brought in an estimated $17.01 million from 3,024 theaters and received a "B+" CinemaScore from opening day audiences.

Internationally, American Made first started playing at the end of August and has since grossed $64.7 million, which includes an additional $3.8 million this weekend.







And in third by a hair is Fox's Kingsman: The Golden Circle, which dropped 56.4% in its second weekend for a $17 million finish.

The film's domestic cume now stands at $66.7 million, which means it is now pacing behind the original film after ten days in release.







Golden Circle continues a strong performance overseas bring in over $50 million this weekend from 77 markets pushing its international cume to $126 million for a global tally reaching $192.9 million, outpacing the original film by 53% in the same markets at current exchange rates.

Also in its sophomore session, WB's The LEGO Ninjago Movie dropped 41.3% in its second weekend for an estimated $12 million. The third film in the LEGO franchise now stands at $35.5 million domestically, pacing well behind its predecessors.

Internationally the film brought in an estimated $10.6 million this weekend from 56 markets for an international total of just $22.7 million for a global cume toping $58 million.







Rounding out the top five is Sony's Flatliners, a $19 million remake of the 1990 film, and it struggled this weekend. Heading into release Sony anticipated a conservative, $7-8 million opening of which the film failed to meet, delivering an estimated $6.7 million three-day, more than $3 million shy of the now 27 year-old original.

Audiences responded with a "B-" CinemaScore. The film kicked off its overseas rollout in 21 markets, bringing in an estimated $3.1 million.







Landing in sixth position is Fox Searchlight's Battle of the Sexes, which expanded nationwide this weekend into 1,213 theaters (+1,192) and brought in an estimated $3.4 million.

The performance is quite a bit below Mojo's $5 million forecast, but with an "A" CinemaScore and strong reviews perhaps its continued expansion next weekend into 1,900+ theaters will help it find a larger audience.







The last of the weekend's new releases to make it into the top ten is Novus's 'Til Death Do Us Part, which delivered an estimated $1.56 million from 562 theaters for a ninth place finish.

Outside the top ten, Pure Flix's A Question of Faith brought in an estimated $1.05 million from 661 theaters. This is a rather soft start based on the pre-release data we were looking at as we expected a debut at least $500k higher.







Finishing in the twelfth slot is Universal's Victoria and Abdul, bringing in an estimated $1.03 million from just 77 locations ($13,393 PTA). The film will look for a spot in the top ten next weekend as it expands nationwide into over 750 theaters.

In limited release, Fox International's Judwaa 2 brought in an estimated $605,000 from 192 theaters ($3,151 PTA); Abramorama's Pearl Jam - Let's Play Two finished with an estimated $55,274 from five locations ($11,055 PTA); Sony Classics' Mark Felt opened with $35,138 from five theaters ($7,028 PTA); Te Ata from Paladin opened with an estimated $28,640 from 14 theaters ($2,046 PTA); IFC's Take Every Wave opened with $13,819 from one theater; and Magnolia's Lucky brought in $9,200 from five theaters ($1,840 PTA).

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=4330&p=.htm









September 29-October 1, 2017 Weekend Studio Estimates:


1. It $17,310,000 / $291,182,790
2. American Made $17,016,000
3. Kingsman: The Golden Circle $17,000,000 / $66,701,588
4. The LEGO Ninjago Movie $12,000,000 / $35,556,065
5. Flatliners $6,700,000
6. Battle of the Sexes $3,400,000 / $4,073,158
7. American Assassin $3,325,000 / $31,873,581
8. Home Again $1,756,372 / $25,181,947
9. 'Til Death Do Us Part $1,521,803
10. mother! $1,460,000 / $16,320,846

I don't think Mother flopped at all. The movie placed in the Top 3 at least.

No, mother! is a major flop.

My g/f and I liked "It" quite a bit, certainly enough to recommend it.

Of course, I really wish they hadn't had to cram SO much plot (over a thousand pages) into a 2 hour plus movie; it did seem often like there should have been...more...from some scenes and plot developments. They kind of "touched" on everything but didn't have time to explore anything in depth, which is a shame, really. I would have LOVED to see more time with the kids hanging out and getting to know each other and interacting. And more history of Derry than a few sentences from Ben.

However..the kids put it over the top for me. They were wonderful in their roles, and they actually SEEMED like kids, which is a rarity anymore. They also looked like kids, not 22 year olds trying to play 13 or whatever. I liked them all and cared about them, and for me, that's key to a horror movie's (or any movie's) success.

Gene Siskel once said that the test of a movie's quality was in the answer to this question: "would you want to see the same characters in a different situation...i.e. were they interesting no matter what they did?"

In this case, I'd say "yes."

^ To be fair they only crammed in the child version of the character's story into the first movie. The second movie will focus on their adult versions.

^ To be fair they only crammed in the child version of the character's story into the first movie. The second movie will focus on their adult versions.

I understand, but honestly, didn't you think the pacing of the film felt rushed, i.e. "let's get to it, we haven't got much time here..."?

Again, I'd definitely recommend it to fans of King and the book. It's just hard sitting in the audience thinking, "oh, but there's so much more richness to this...ahh, go get the book!" :)