By Lindsey Bahr, Film Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --A robust audience turned out to catch "It: Chapter Two" in movie theaters this weekend, but not quite as big as the first.
Warner Bros. says Sunday that "It: Chapter Two," the only major new release, earned an estimated $91 million from North American ticket sales in its first weekend from 4,570 screens.
Trailing only its predecessor that debuted to a record $123.4 million in September 2017, the launch of "It: Chapter Two" is the second highest opening for a horror film ever and the month of September, which before "It" was not a strong month for blockbusters. Both were directed by Argentine filmmaker Andy Muschietti.
Jeff Goldstein, who oversees domestic distribution for Warner Bros., called the debut "sensational" and isn't concerned that "Chapter Two" didn't hit the heights of the first.
"How many movies open to $91 million? That was lightning in a bottle," Goldstein said. "You don't get lightning in a bottle twice. You get close though."
Based on Stephen King's novel, "It: Chapter Two" brings the Losers Club back to Derry 27 years later to take on the demonic clown Pennywise, and stars James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain and Bill Hader as a few of the adult "losers." The sequel cost around $79.5 million to make. Reviews were a little more mixed than for the first — 86% versus 64% on Rotten Tomatoes — but audiences were consistent. Both films got a B+ CinemaScore.
"Andy Muschietti does an incredible job of scaring the stuffing out of audiences," Goldstein said. "I think our team, starting with New Line in making this and our marketing team in bringing it to audiences around the globe, have hit the mark right on. They nailed it."
Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian noted that, unlike most horror films which tend drop off significantly after opening weekend, "It: Chapter Two," like its predecessor and some of the recent high quality horror films could have "incredibly long playability."
"It: Chapter Two" is also a big win for Warner Bros., which had a few disappointments this summer with "The Kitchen" and "Shaft," but also have a few films that could really take off, including "Joker," out Oct. 4, and another King adaptation, "Doctor Sleep," out Nov. 8.
The rest of the top 10 was populated by holdovers: "Angel Has Fallen" took a distant second with $6 million and "Good Boys" placed third with $5.4 million. In limited release, the documentary "Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice" performed well in its first weekend, grossing $115,500 from seven locations.
After a down summer for the industry as a whole and a year that is still running 6% down, "It: Chapter Two" is a promising start to the fall movie season, which runs from the day after Labor Day weekend through November.
"It's really important to have a movie to get the momentum going," Dergarabedian said.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "It: Chapter Two," $91 million ($94 million international).
2. "Angel Has Fallen," $6 million ($7.6 million international).
3. "Good Boys," $5.4 million ($2.3 million international).
4. "The Lion King," $4.2 million ($13.4 million international).
5. "Overcomer," $3.8 million.
6. "Fast & Furious Presents Hobbs & Shaw," $3.7 million ($15.7 million international).
7. "The Peanut Butter Falcon," $2.3 million.
8. "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark," $2.3 million ($701,000 international).
9. "Ready or Not," $2.2 million ($2.3 million international).
10. "Dora and the Lost City of Gold," $2.2 million ($2.3 million international).
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to Comscore:
1. "It: Chapter Two," $94 million.
2. "Fast & Furious Presents Hobbs & Shaw," $15.7 million.
3. "The Lion King," $13.4 million.
4. "Once Upon a Time In Hollywood," $13 million.
5. "Ne Zha," $8.1 million.
6. "Angel Has Fallen," $7.6 million.
7. "Toy Story 4," $4.9 million.
8. "The Angry Birds Movie 2," $4.4 million.
9. "Free Solo," $3.3 million.
10. "2.0," $2.6 million.
Director Mike Flanagan’s “The Life of Chuck” Wins People’s Choice Award At The Toronto Film Fest
The Toronto International Film Festival’s People’s Choice Award went to “The Life of Chuck,” handing director-writer Mike Flanagan’s Stephen King adaptation one of the most-watched prizes of the fall film festival circuit.
The award for “The Life of Chuck” was announced Sunday (9/15) as North American’s largest film festival drew to a close. “The Life of Chuck,” based on King’s 2020 novella of the same name, stars Tom Hiddleston as Charles “Chuck” Krantz, an ordinary man living through apocalyptic cataclysms. Mark Hamill, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan and Jacob Tremblay co-star.
TIFF’s People’s Choice Award is regarded as a reliable Oscar harbinger. Since 2012, every winner of the festival’s top prize has gone on to be nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards. Last year, Cord Jefferson’s “American Fiction” won, and went on to be a major awards contender.
But “The Life of Chuck” could test that track record. The film is up for sale and doesn’t yet have distribution. It could be acquired and quickly readied for release this fall, or it might end up a 2025 release. “The Life of Chuck” drew mixed — though mostly positive reviews — out of Toronto, though audiences were clearly charmed by the uplifting drama.
Runners-up for the People’s Choice Award, which is voted on by festival attendees, were both films that first premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The first was Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez.” The second runner-up was Sean Baker’s “Anora,” the Palme d’Or winner at Cannes.
The audience award for top documentary went to Mike Downie’s “The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal.” In the festival’s Midnight Madness section, the prize went to... Read More