IT Chapter Twomay have won its opening weekend at the U.S. box office and zoomed past predictions but don’t be fooled: this was a fairly grim weekend in terms of theatrical sales overall. Sequels rarely do as well as their predecessors, so it’s not too shocking thatIT Chapter Twoonly pulled in $91 million at domestic box offices versus the $123 millionITearned in its opening weekend back in 2017. What’s really been a boon for this sequel is the international opening weekend gross. Across all foreign markets,IT Chapter Twoearned more than what it did in the U.S., pulling in $94 million for a worldwide total of $185 million.
So, what happened opening weekend that contributed toIT Chapter Two’s decent-but-not-exactly-thrilling domestic earnings? Well, lukewarm critical reviews might have been a factor. Collider’s Haleigh Foutch acknowledged inher reviewthat, stylistically and structurally speaking, directorAndy Muschietti’s vision has “bold strides [that] are admirable and some of them work like a charm” but more often than not, the film felt “too sprawling and, sometimes, disjointed and buckling under the weight of those ambitions.” Combine this reaction with the film’s atypical three-hour runtime and not even the all-star cast — which includesJames McAvoy,Jessica Chastain, andBill Hader— could have prevented these box office totals. Don’t get me wrong: $91 million is still a decent chunk of change but things definitely could have gone better for this horror sequel in its first days in theaters.
When you compareIT Chapter Twoto the other films in the top 10 at the U.S. box office, it’s beating these offerings to a pulp. Coming in at number two isAngel Has Fallenwhich, despite it’s high ranking, earned a meager $6 million domestically. This brings its three-week gross up to $53.5 million. Speaking of mid-budget fare,Good Boyscame in at number three, earning $5.4 million in the first weekend of September. And even though Disney’s live-action remake ofThe Lion Kingis officially the number seven highest-earning movie of all time (it has earned $1.6 billion worldwide to date) as it finishes its eighth weekend in theaters, its profits are starting to slow. This weekend, it only brought in $4.2 million domestically.
Holding strong in the middle of the domestic rankings areOvercomer, the faith-based indie made on a $5 million budget that’s not only managed to stay high in the box office rankings but has more than earned back what it cost to make. In its third weekend,Overcomerhas earned $3.75 million domestically, bringing its stateside total up to $24.7 million. Meanwhile, folks are still interested in seeing the action-and-banter-heavy spinoffFast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shawbecause it’s sitting tight at number six in the charts with $3.72 earned this weekend in the U.S.
Perhaps the biggest and best surprise of the weekend comes courtesy ofThe Peanut Butter Falcon, starringZack Gottsagen(in his first feature film role ever),Shia LaBeouf, andDakota Johnson. The winning trio brings to life the story of Zak (Gottsagen), a young man who runs away from home with the intention of becoming a professional wrestler. Along the way, he meets Tyler (LaBeouf), a drifter who takes Zak under his wing and helps him out. The heart-warming story has a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes which, when paired with its nearly $2.3 million earnings after five weeks in theaters, makes for a not-too-shabby return for the indie movie who’s rubbing shoulders with bigger studio releases.
Bringing up the rear this weekend are horror flicksScary Stories to Tell in the DarkandReady or Not. The former has pulled in $2.3 million while the latter earned $2.2 million, both reflecting their domestic totals. And finally, at number 10, isDora and the Lost City of Gold. This kid’s movie based on the Nickelodeon seriesDora the Exploreris now in its fifth weekend and has pulled in a paltry $2.1 million domestically. Yeesh.
We’ll get some new blood, so to speak, in next weekend’s roundup withThe Goldfinch, starringAnsel ElgortandNicole Kidman, andHustlers, starringJennifer LopezandConstance Wu, arriving on Friday, September 13. Hopefully, these two newbies can inject some life into U.S. theaters because boy, oh boy, they desperately need it.
IT Chapter Two
$91,000,000
Angel Has Fallen
$6,000,000
$53,460,501
$5,390,000
$66,849,700
The Lion King (2019)
$4,193,000
$529,106,439
$3,750,000
$24,706,163
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
$3,720,000
$164,252,145
The Peanut Butter Falcon
$2,276,430
$12,282,689
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
$2,275,000
$62,100,734
Ready or Not
$2,229,000
$25,630,688
Dora and the Lost City of Gold
$2,170,000
$54,159,150
