After just eight days in release, WB and New Line’s It became the highest grossing September release of all-time, two days later it added another $40 million to that total for an impressive $60 million second weekend and nearly $220 million in just ten days. With an estimated $60 million this weekend, It brought its domestic total to $218.7 million after just ten days in release. As already mentioned, that makes it the largest September release ever, topping 1986’s Crocodile Dundee ($174.8m). That number, of course, is not adjusted for inflation. Adjusted for inflation, however, It still finishes within the top ten and would likely finish around third after it soon tops $300 million domestically. The film is now just $14.2 million shy of becoming the largest R-rated horror film of all time as it will soon top The Exorcist’s $232.9 million domestic total (not adjusted for inflation).
In second place is Lionsgate’s release of CBS Films’s American Assassin, which brought in an estimated $14.8 million from 3,154 locations, which puts it right about where most box office tracking placed it. It’s a decent debut for the film, which also received a “B+” CinemaScore from opening day audiences of which 55% were male vs. 45% female with 29% of the overall audience coming in under the age of 35. American Assassin also opened in 41 markets internationally where it grossed an estimated $6.2 million with upcoming releases in major markets such as France (9/20), Brazil (9/21), Mexico (9/22), Russia (9/28), Germany (10/12), Spain (11/3) and Italy (11/23) on the horizon.
Third place went to Darren Aronofsky’s mother!, which not only opened with a disappointing gross of $7.5 million from 2,368 locations, but became one of only 19 films to ever receive an “F” CinemaScore which could result in a 60+% drop next weekend and a short-lived theatrical experience. The overall audience was 44% male vs. 56% female, of which 18% were under the age of 25. For star Jennifer Lawrence this is her worst wide debut ever, falling almost $5 million shy of her other critical misfire, the September 2012 thriller House at the End of the Street, which debuted with $12.2 million despite an 11% rating on RottenTomatoes compared to the 68% rating for mother!
Check out the full top ten results below:
- It – $60 million
- American Assassin – $14.8 million
- mother! – $7.5 million
- Home Again – $5.3 million
- The Hitman’s Bodyguard – $3.5 million
- Annabelle: Creation – $2.6 million
- Wind River – $2.5 million
- Leap! – $2.1 million
- Spider-Man: Homecoming – $1.8 million
- Dunkirk – $1.3 million
