As its second frame begins,Andy Muschietti’sItis looking like it will ably win another weekend. The big openers of the weekend,American Assassinandmother!, are both charting reasonably well but the difference in Friday takes between the second and third movie in the top five, respectively, and Muschietti’s number one contender is hard to shake.
Indeed, It ended Friday with $19.2 million compared toAmerican Assassin’s $5.7 million andmother!’s $3.1 million. If no one bought a ticket for It today or tomorrow and mother! somehow made seven times what it made yesterday,Darren Aronofsky’s latest might have a shot of conquering what is now the most profitable horror movie ever released, at least in terms of box office. It is sailing on little more than premise and name recognition from its source material, making something of a mockery of two movies that are anchored to their lead actors, whether that beJennifer LawrenceandJavier BardemorDylan O’BrienandMichael Keaton. In the case ofAmerican Assassin, there’s also the faux-patriotic title and kill-dem-terrorists premise that could be perceived as hooks. Still, It is clobberingMichael Cuesta’s empty action bonanza.
This leftHome Againin fourth place with $1.6 million andThe Hitman’s Bodyguardin fifth with a little over $1 million. This will be the last weekend for theRyan Reynolds-Samuel L. Jacksonaction romp, considering that next weekend will bringKingsman: The Golden Circle,The LEGO Ninjago Movie, and horror whatsitFriend Request. The arrival of this trio will also almost certainly kick It out of its top placing, though I’m still skeptical thatFriend Requestwill be able to hook the horror hounds.
Even Aronofsky’smother!, now the single best movie in wide release, seems to be slow to pick up that demographic where It quickly attracted them and then some. Muschietti’s film benefits from adapting King with style, imagination, and a great cast that are able to lend heart when the script snuffs it out. Coming on the heels of the resoundingly insufferable adaptation ofThe Dark Tower, another King classic,Itmakes a sharp case for humor, color, and a touch of madness over grim pseudo-maturity. That’s a lesson that should be learned but it won’t saveItfrom the onslaught of the latest LEGO movie and the lifeless sex-and-violence extravaganza that is the secondKingsmanfilm.
Here’s your top five for Friday:
Friday Domestic BO
Total Domestic BO
$19,200,000
$177,910,619
2. ‘American Assassin’
$5,760,000
- ‘mother!’
$3,100,000
4. ‘Home Again’
$1,664,763
$13,465,847
- ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’
$1,015,000
$67,822,040
