'It: Chapter Two' Scares Up $10.5 Million at Thursday Box Office But Falls Short of Original

“It: Chapter Two,” the sequel to the horror blockbuster based on Stephen King’s novel, got off to a scary good start Thursday night, taking in $10.5 million in previews. It opens on over 4,200 screens this weekend.

“Chapter Two’s” Thursday total however fell short of the 2017 “It” film, which brought in $13.5 million in its Thursday previews. That was then a record for both a horror film and a September release.

The initial projections for “It: Chapter Two” likewise point to a lower opening weekend than the first film. Independent trackers are looking in the range of $100-110 million for “Chapter Two,” while Warner Bros. is projecting a more conservative $85-90 million for the New Line film. The original opened to a massive $123 million, leading it to a gross of $700 million worldwide. The first film’s success came as a surprise for box office trackers, and it ultimately placed in the top 10 highest grossing films of that year.

Also Read: 'It Chapter Two' Film Review: Little Moments Terrify in Effective Horror Sequel

If “It: Chapter Two” does manage to crack the $100 million mark in its opening weekend, it would be the first non-Disney release of 2019 to do so. The exception is “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” which opened over a long 4th of July weekend rather than a traditional three-day weekend.

“It: Chapter Two” is also performing less well with critics, currently landing a still fresh but just 67% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The new film is the continuation of the first movie and now finds the Losers Club all grown up, but returning to Derry to face their demons in the form of Pennywise the Clown (Bill Skarsgard) all over again.

James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain and Bill Hader star in the film, with the original child cast led by Jaeden Martell and Finn Wolfhard returning in flashback scenes. The “It” director/writer duo of Andy Muschietti and Gary Dauberman return with producers Barbara Muschietti, Dan Lin and Roy Lee.

9 Fall Horror Movies to Keep You Up All Night, From 'It: Chapter Two' to 'Black Christmas' (Photos)

From movies about life-like dolls to terrifying clowns, 2019's fall movie calendar is packed with horror.
Sept. 4: "IT: Chapter Two"

After the success of "IT" in 2017, we're so looking forward to the sequel that will take place 27 years after the Loser Club crossed paths with Pennywise the Clown.
New Line
Sept. 13: "Haunt"

"A Quiet Place" co-writers Bryan Woods and Scott Beck write and direct this one, about a group of friends who visit an "extreme" haunted house on Halloween.
Momentum
Oct. 18: "The Lighthouse"

You wouldn't think a festival favorite starring Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe would qualify as a horror movie, but it is! The movie follows two lighthouse keepers who live in a remote and mysterious island in the 1890s.
Photo by Eric Chakeen
Oct. 18: "Zombieland: Double Tap"

OK, we know -- it's more of a comedy than a horror film, but it's still all about the guts and the gore. Woody Harrelson, Emma Roberts, Jesse Eisenberg and Abigail Breslin return to fight evolved zombies.
Columbia
Oct. 18: "Eli"

October 18 seems to be THE day for horror releases this fall! In Ciaran Foy's film, a boy receiving treatment for his autoimmune disorder realizes the house he's in isn't as safe as he thought.
Netflix
Nov. 8: "Doctor Sleep"

In a sequel to Stephen King's "The Shining," a grown-up Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor) meets a young girl who houses the same abilities he has -- they're just much stronger, and that's why she's being hunted by a cult known as The True Knot.
Warner Bros.
Nov. 15: "The Lodge"

"The Lodge," by the "Goodnight Mommy" filmmakers, made a splash in January at Sundance. The movie stars Kiley Keough, Richard Armitage and Alicia Silverstone and will make you cringe in fear for days.
Sundance Institute
Dec. 6: "Brahms: The Boy II"

"Brahms: The Boy II" is the follow up to 2016's "The Boy." This one stars Katie Holmes as a woman whose son makes friends with a life-like doll named Brahms.
STX
Dec. 13: "Black Christmas"

Blumhouse's remake of the 1974 horror film of the same stars Cary Elwes, Imogen Poots and Brittany O'Grady and goes old-school horror: A group of friends are stalked by a stranger during their winter break.
Blumhouse