‘It’ Becomes the Highest-Grossing Domestic Horror Film of All Time

The reboot has netted over $230 million in the U.S. alone.

Fifteen days after an official release that included real life clowns, the second iteration of Stephen King’s It has made history. Jaeden Lieberher, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Bill Skarsgård, and the rest of the It cast hold the distinction of appearing in the highest-grossing horror film of all time, as box office projections from earlier in the week held up and It crossed the $230 million mark Friday.

It has hauled in $236.3 million domestically, to edge it past the $232.9 million The Exorcist netted some forty-plus years ago. The critically acclaimed 1973 film still holds the distinction as the world’s highest grossing horror film, having earned $441.3 million globally to compared to the $404.3 million (and counting) It has grossed. 

As noted Thursday, none of the figures for The Exorcist have not been adjusted for inflation. Conservatively assuming a movie ticket ran about $2.50 in 1973, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates that same $2.50 would have the same buying power as $14.41 in 2017. 

“When accounting for inflation, the lifetime gross for The Exorcist is a massive $917.5 million,” noted Pamela McClintock of the Hollywood Reporter.

The minutiae of inflation aside, there is enough evidence to support the opinion that Hollywood loves reboots and sequels. And given the dollars involved, a sequel was pretty much inevitable even before director Andy Muschietti said an It follow up was his priority. 

The box office momentum of It doesn’t show any signs of slowing down, as it/It is also the highest-grossing September release and the ninth highest-grossing R-rated release in history.

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