It: Chapter Two, the sequel to the mega-hit ‘It‘, managed to shake up the box office, raking in $185 million globally. Considering the popularity of the source material from cult favorite author, Stephen King, and the success of its predecessor, this comes as no surprise.
Although the sequel failed to cross the mark set by its first installment which closed in at $189 million worldwide, it has still managed to emerge as the second highest opening for a horror flick, trailing in right behind It. Regardless of the slump, it’s still the highest opening for an R-rated movie this year and the second biggest debut in the history of September releases, according to CNN.
According to industry insiders and reports by THR, IGN and Forbes, the biggest reason for the drop in numbers may be because of the mixed critical reviews and a lengthier run-time; the movie has a 64% score on Rotten Tomatoes while its predecessor managed an 86% in 2017. Also, the movie is roughly stretched over two hours and 49 minutes, which is over 30 minutes longer than the first part.
The Loser’s Club is reunited 27 years later in the sequel.
The film has exceeded some expectations, however, as is illustrated by Jeff Goldstein’s (Warner Bros. Domestic Distribution Chief) words; “For me the big headline is that we now have the No. 1 and No. 2 horror openings. We always said this film would get to $85 million or $90 million; we were never going to hit lightning in a bottle again.”
Starring Bill Skarsgard, Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa, James Ransome, Jay Ryan, and Andy Bean etc., the movie picks up 27 years on from where the first one ended. It follows the Loser’s Club as they maneuver their way around the seemingly omnipresent clown, Pennywise, in an effort to thwart him once and for all.
Watch the trailer for It: Chapter Two here:
