When it premieres this weekend, Stephen King’s “It” is expected to set a box-office record for the biggest opening weekend in September. Some analysts predict the film could hit the $70 million mark its first weekend in theaters. Its competition for that top title is “Hotel Transylvania 2,” which made $48 million during its first weekend in 2015.
Is that $70 million achievable? We took a look at domestic box office records for some of King’s other books that have been turned into movies to see. King has a long history of popular television shows, movies, and shorts based on his novels and short stories.
Currently, the highest grossing Steven King movie is “The Green Mile,” according to online database Box Office Mojo, which made over $136 million overall, and around $18 million opening weekend. The biggest opening weekend for a King movie was “The Dark Tower”, which brought in $19 million when it premiered in August. Pulling in $70 million opening weekend would mean the film made quadruple what any other film based on his books was able to accomplish.
So, what’s the average? Across all 40 of the films based on his writing, adjusted for inflation, Stephen King’s movies have brought in an average of $56.4 million each. While that $56 million might not seem too impressive, when you add all 40 titles together, the writer has been responsible for a whopping $2,259,316,200 in box office sales.