‘It’ Scares Away Tom Cruise To Once Again Take Multiplex Crown [Box Office]

The fall movie season has just started, and so far the box office story belongs to “It.” The Stephen King adaptation has been a smashing success, with the picture passing William Friedkin‘s “The Exorcist” to become the highest grossing horror movie all time. And the next victim Pennywise has claimed is Tom Cruise.

“It” scared off “American Made” and returned to the top of the box office to the tune of $17.3 million. For three out of the four weeks the film has been in cinemas, it has been in first place, but don’t expect that trend to continue with Warner Bros. other highly anticipated fall movie, “Blade Runner 2049,” opening next weekend and currently riding a tidal wave of strong buzz. But with $291 million and counting, the final tally for “It” is going to be impressive no matter what, even moreso considering the film’s modest $35 million budget. With the sequel not due until 2019, you can bet the studio is going to go bigger next time around to max out that IP as best as they can, but let’s hope they don’t start trying turn this into a cinematic universe.

READ MORE: ‘American Made’ Is A Charming, Familiar ‘GoodFellas’ Copycat {Review}

The tale of Tom Cruise continues to be the same — disappointing domestically, strong internationally. “American Made” opened to $17 million, the worst wide release figures for the A-list actor since he was a rising star in “A Few Good Men.” But everyone knows Cruise’s bread and butter is overseas, and the film has already earned $64 million abroad since it opened at the end of August. So with $81 million in the bank already off a $50 million budget, “American Made” should make out just fine in the end, even if no one in North America goes to see it.

Not screening for critics, and showing no signs of life well in advance of hitting cinemas, “Flatliners” expectedly flopped with $6.7 million. No one was asking for a redo of the 1990 thriller, and not even the casting of Ellen Page, Diego Luna, and Nina Dobrev could convince a younger audience to part with their money. And no one old enough to remember cared to find out the reason why Kiefer Sutherland returned.

Meanwhile, some Taye Diggs thriller we had no idea existed called “Til Death Do Us Part” cracked the top ten with $1.5 million.

At the arthouse, things were quiet. With zero buzz, “Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down The White House” delivered a sleepy $35,138 from five screens. “Lucky” starring the late Harry Dean Stanton didn’t fare much better and grossed $9,200 from the same amount of cinemas.

1. “It” — $17.3 million ($291.1 mil.)
2. “American Made” — $17.01 million
3. “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” — $17 million ($66.7 mil.)
4. “The LEGO Ninjago Movie” — $12 million ($35.5 mil.)
5. “Flatliners” — $6.7 million
6. “Battle Of The Sexes” — $3.4 million ($4 million)
7. “American Assassin” — $3.3 million
8. “Home Again” — $1.7 million ($25.1 mil.)
9. “Til Death Do Us Part” — $1.5 million
10. “mother!” — $1.4 million ($16.3 mil.)