It
After being in development hell for nearly a decade, not many people gave It a hope in hell of ever being released, never mind being a box office success. After losing director after director and countless producers, it looked unlikely that this film could compare to the legendary Stephen King novel and 1990 miniseries starring the dashing Tim Curry as Pennywise the Dancing Clown.
Yet, Andy Muschietti’s effort knocked it out of the park. Not only was it a critical and fan success, but it also made nearly $700 million worldwide off a $35 million budget. The financial success surprised everyone – including Warner Bros. – as It become the highest-grossing horror film of all-time. Unsurprisingly, the second part of this Derry saga has been fast-tracked into production.
Blending horror with a powerful coming-of-age story that captured the nostalgic charm of Stranger Things (and featuring an equally talented young cast), It refused to adhere to the conventional tropes of horror flicks. The movie paved its own way and it’s stronger because of it.