8 Years Later, a Stephen King Horror Movie’s Major Record Has Been Broken

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Over the years, numerous Stephen King adaptations have been released with great success, but none have outshone 2017’s IT at the box office. This film, acclaimed by critics, holds the title of not only the highest-grossing Stephen King adaptation ever, but also the highest-grossing unadjusted horror movie in history. The positive buzz surrounding it propelled a staggering $179.2 million opening at the worldwide box office, setting a record for the genre. This impressive start propelled the film to a global theatrical run of $704.1 million. After an eight-year reign, one of IT‘s box office records has finally been surpassed.

By Deadline, “The Conjuring: Last Rites” collected an astonishing $194 million worldwide during its first weekend, outstripping “IT’s” figure by approximately $15 million. This horror sequel started strong with a domestic intake of $84 million and an additional $110 million from international markets. This far surpassed the initial predictions for its box office performance.

How The Conjuring: Last Rites Beat IT‘s Record

Initially, it was anticipated that “The Conjuring: Last Rites” would perform well at the box office; however, nobody foresaw it breaking historical records. Prior to its debut weekend, projections suggested a $40 million+ domestic opening and an additional $80 million from international markets. However, due to the exceptional performance of horror movies this year, “Last Rites” surpassed all expectations, prompting questions about the accuracy of the forecasts.

Ever since its launch in 2013, The Conjuring Universe franchise has been a dominant force in the horror genre. With the pre-release of Last Rites, the primary Conjuring series and some spinoffs had collectively earned an impressive $2.2 billion at the box office. Although The Conjuring Universe has had varied reviews from critics, it’s consistently been a money-maker at the box office. With Last Rites being promoted as the finale for Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga portraying Ed and Lorraine Warren, fans felt this was a special event they didn’t want to miss. Hardcore followers were eager to witness the conclusion of the duo’s paranormal investigations.

The film “The Conjuring: Last Rites” had an advantage due to limited competition at the box office. Released over the weekend following Labor Day, there weren’t many other significant movies showing. Even new releases like “Caught Stealing” and “The Roses” struggled to grab attention amidst the 50th anniversary re-release of “Jaws“. Critically acclaimed horror film “Weapons“, which had been dominating the box office throughout August, catered to a similar audience. However, by the time “Last Rites” hit theaters, “Weapons” had already made a substantial impact and audiences were eager for another horror flick.

Due to the long-lasting success of the franchise and a relatively calm movie market, The Conjuring: Last Rites had an easy victory at the box office. It’ll be intriguing to see how it performs moving forward, as sequels often experience significant drops in their second weekend once initial excitement dies down. This trend is especially notable for records-breaking sequels like Last Rites. September still has some big releases lined up (such as The Long Walk), but Last Rites is expected to maintain its appeal throughout the month. What’s even more intriguing is whether Warner Bros. will find a way to continue The Conjuring Universe on the big screen, given the evident ongoing interest in this series.

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2025-09-10 16:43