After the summer movie season withered from a dry spell, the fall season is about to blast off with a bang. Warner Bros. unleashes the R-rated horror It [IT1] based on the Stephen King bestseller. Bill Skarsgard [BSKAR] stars as the killer clown Pennywise, previously played by Tim Curry in a memorable 1990 TV mini-series. It arrives at a perfect time in the cultural zeitgeist. The Netflix series "Strange Things" has helped foster nostalgia for the period. The first trailer released in March broken records for online views and the buzz has only spread since. Reviews are overwhelmingly positive. Advance ticket sales are already outpacing the previous best horror preseller Paranormal Activity 3, which debuted at $52.6 million in 2011, as well as 2015’s Hotel Transylvania 2, which holds the September opening weekend record of $48.5 million. The only downside is Hurricane Irma barreling down Florida, while South Texas is still recovering from Hurricane Harvey. Playing in a record 4103 theaters for September, It could float $73 million.
Open Road counters with the PG-13 rated romantic comedy Home Again [HMAGN] targeted at women. Reese Witherspoon [RWITH] plays a recently separated mother of two who finds romance again with a younger man. Playing in 2940 theaters, Home Again could attract $9 million.
The Hitman’s Bodyguard [HTMBG] will give up first place after three weeks with a third placing $5.0 million.
Wind River [WNDRV] has been holding exceptionally well and should finish fourth at about $3.5 million.
That’s the whisper on the virtual trading floor.
Tag(s): IT1, BSKAR, HMAGN, RWITH, HTMBG, WNDRV