Box office: ‘It Chapter Two’ floats with $91-million opening

Just like Pennywise the Dancing Clown, Warner Bros.’ and New Line Cinema’s “It” sequel has come back with a vengeance.

“It Chapter Two” floated straight to the top of the box office with $91 million in North American receipts, within range of analyst projections of $90 million to $110 million, according to estimates from measurement firm Comscore.

Internationally, the film earned $94 million for a global cumulative of $185 million including $9 million in global IMAX sales.

The result is the second-biggest horror movie opening of all time, beating out last year’s “Halloween” (which opened with $76 million) and second only to its predecessor, which opened with a stellar $123 million in 2017 on its way to $700 million in global ticket sales. It is also the second-biggest September debut of all time and the biggest R-rated debut of the year.

“Chapter Two” picks up 27 years after the events of the 2017 film and chronicles the second half of Stephen King’s epic horror novel. Director Andy Muschietti returns alongside an ensemble cast of adult “Losers” led by James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain and Bill Hader. The child actors also returned for flashback scenes in which they were digitally de-aged.

In addition to costing more than double the original film’s $35-million budget, the $80-million sequel runs a lengthy 2 hours and 49 minutes. The film earned a B+ CinemaScore and a 64% “fresh” rating on review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes. Comparatively, the first installment of “It” also earned a B+ CinemaScore but did better with critics, notching an 86% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The result is a strong start for the fall movie season, which arrives on the heels of a lackluster summer in which revenues dropped by 2% from a year ago to $4.32 billion, according to Comscore.

Far behind in second place, Lionsgate’s “Angel Has Fallen” added $6 million in its third weekend for a cumulative $53.5 million.

Coming in third, Universal’s “Good Boys” added $5.4 million in its fourth weekend for a cumulative $66.8 million. The film currently stands at $82.4 million in global receipts.

At No. 4, Disney’s “The Lion King” added $4.2 million in its eighth weekend for a cumulative $529.1 million. It currently stands at $1.6 billion in global ticket sales, making it the No. 7 highest-grossing movie of all-time globally.

Rounding out the top five, Sony’s “Overcomer” added $3.75 million in its third weekend for a cumulative $24.7 million.

At No. 6, Universal’s “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw” added $3.72 million in its sixth weekend for a cumulative $164.3 million. It currently stands at $719.8 million in global receipts.

In seventh place, Roadside Attractions’ “The Peanut Butter Falcon” added $2.276 million in its fifth weekend for a cumulative $12.3 million.

At No. 8, Lionsgate’s “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” added $2.275 million in its fifth weekend for a cumulative $62.1 million.

In ninth place, Fox Searchlight’s “Ready or Not” added $2.23 million in its third weekend for a cumulative $25.6 million.

Rounding out the top 10, Paramount’s “Dora and the Lost City of Gold” added $2.17 million in its fifth weekend for a cumulative $54.2 million.

In limited release, Amazon Studios expanded “Brittany Runs a Marathon” to 230 screens for $1 million, an average of $4,505, and a three-week total of $1.9 million.

Greenwich Entertainment and 1091 opened the documentary “Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice” in seven locations to $115,500 for a per-screen average of $16,500. It earned an 88% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Oscilloscope Labs opened “Ms. Purple” in one location to $18,650. It earned a 90% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Music Box Films premiered “Edie” in seven locations to $8,467 for a per-screen average of $1,210. It earned 64% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

This week, Warner Bros. releases the drama “The Goldfinch,” an adaptation of the 2013 Donna Tartt novel, and STX Entertainment opens the Jennifer Lopez crime drama “Hustlers.”