‘IT Chapter Two’ scares up $91.1 million to top box office

LOS ANGELES — Proving again the lure of a good scare, the Stephen King-inspired film “IT Chapter Two” took in $91.1 million this weekend to top the North American box office, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said Monday.

That three-day total fell below the original “It”, with its frighteningly impressive $123 million opening in 2017. But the two films now rank as the top two horror openings ever, according to Variety.

“IT Chapter Two” stars Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Isaiah Mustafa and Bill Hader as the grown-up versions of the kids who battled the terrifying, shape-shifting clown Pennywise 27 years earlier — and now must do it again.

There were no other new releases in the top 10, and the box office lineup — in what has been a slow year for cinema — was little changed from last weekend.

Slipping one spot to second — and miles behind “IT Chapter Two” — was Lionsgate’s political thriller “Angel Has Fallen”, which earned $6 million. Gerard Butler stars as a Secret Service agent wrongly accused of attempting to kill the US president (Morgan Freeman).

In third, also down one spot, was Universal’s raunchy tween comedy “Good Boys”, at $5.5 million. 

Disney’s updated “The Lion King” also slipped one spot, to fourth, at $4.3 million.

In fifth place was Universal’s action film “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw” starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Jason Statham, taking in $3.8 million on its sixth weekend.

Rounding out the weekend’s top 10 were “Overcomer” ($3.7 million), “Dora & the City of Lost Gold” ($2.3 million), “Ready or Not” ($2.3 million), “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” ($2.3 million) and “Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood” ($2.2 million).