“It,” the blockbuster adaptation of Stephen King‘s novel about a child-eating clown, has pushed past “The Exorcist” to become the highest-grossing horror film on a domestic basis.
The crown comes with some caveats. “The Exorcist” is still the top-grossing horror film on an international basis, having netted $441.3 million globally to “It’s” $404.3 million. The horror classic also made its money in 1973, so this record doesn’t take inflation into account.
It’s still a stunning result for the King adaptation, and a reason to celebrate at Warner Bros. and New Line, the studios responsible for bringing Pennywise to the big screen. “It” has earned $236.3 million stateside. In contrast, “The Exorcist” has grossed $232.9 million domestically. In addition to terrorizing ’70s theatergoers, “The Exorcist” got two director’s cut re-releases.
“It” is directed by Andres Muschietti (“Mama”) and stars Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise, along with a kid-heavy cast the includes Jaeden Lieberher, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, and Finn Wolfhard. The movie follows a band of outcast teenagers as they battle a sinister force that’s terrorizing their town.
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The film cost an economical $35 million to produce and pushed past “The Exorcist” after just two weeks of release. Given its monster grosses, it’s no surprise that the studio is moving forward on a follow-up to “It.”
“It” should shatter more records as it continues its torrid pace at the box office. The film is now the ninth highest-grossing R-rated release in history and the highest-grossing September release.
