Warner Bros.’ IT Chapter Two may have opened behind the original 2017 film, but the sequel managed to outgross The Dark Tower in a single weekend. IT Chapter Two brought in over $100 million worldwide this past weekend, while The Dark Tower only brought in $113 million globally by the end of its theatrical run. The films share a connection, as both are adaptations of Stephen King’s novels and have ties to his fictional multiverse.
Initially, IT Chapter Two was projected to have the second-best September box office opening of all-time. The original film managed to gross $700 million globally and helped Warner Bros. make $5 billion in 2017. IT also received a strong critical reception for the most part, which only helped its box office success. Sadly, IT Chapter Two hasn’t been received the same, as most reviews have been more mixed than positive. However, neither of these adaptations was critically panned like The Dark Tower, which also didn’t have the best opening weekend performance compared to IT and IT Chapter Two.
According to Box Office Mojo, IT Chapter Two outgrossed The Dark Tower in one weekend. The sequel arrived in theaters this past weekend bringing in $91 million domestically, contributing to a total $185 million worldwide haul. As for Sony’s The Dark Tower, it only managed to bring in $19 million domestically and was a critical flop. With that being said, IT Chapter Two ends the written portion of King’s story, so if there is interest in furthering the narrative one day, it would have to be done without King’s source material as a guideline. With two successful Pennywise films under its belt, it will be interesting to see if Warner Bros. takes it any further.
Adding to that is the fact IT Chapter Two managed to make back more than its budget in a single weekend, which would be enough to already spark conversation about continuing the story. However, if another film were to happen, it could take place in the town of Derry years before Pennywise encountered the Losers Club. In order to keep the emotional ending of the recent sequel intact, the best route for a third film would be a prequel. Also, a lot of the reactions to IT Chapter Two knocked the film for its bloated story and runtime, which is odd given the novel is over 1,000 pages in length. If Warner Bros. ever decided to move forward with IT Chapter Three, it wouldn’t be surprising if the runtime was cut down compared to the first two films.
With the success of the original film in 2017 and the fact that it too outgrossed The Dark Tower during its opening weekend, it shouldn’t be surprising that the highly anticipated sequel managed to outperform The Dark Tower as well. Since IT Chapter Two is dominating the box office just like its predecessor, fans shouldn’t believe they have seen the last of Pennywise and the Losers just yet. The financial success of IT Chapter Two could lead to another trip to Derry, Maine for audiences to spend time with Pennywise again.
More: Our 13 Biggest Unanswered Questions After IT Chapter Two
Source: Box Office Mojo
