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PEOPLE & ARTS Wednesday 13 september 2017
The ‘It’ factor: How a scary big hit could change horror

By LINDSEY BAHR
AP Film Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) —
There are no sure things
in Hollywood, but mod-
estly-budgeted horror
movies come pretty
close.
This weekend took that
thinking to new heights
as the big screen adap-
tation of Stephen King’s
“It” shattered records
and even the bold-
est predictions with its
$123.4 million debut.
Until “It,” no horror movie
had ever even opened
over $55 million, let
alone $100 million. It had
a cast with no movie on the children of Derry, Tower,”) “It” has some Line production is also a New Line. But even their
stars and it only cost $35 Maine, while Part 2, ex- wondering whether Hol- solidly mid-budget film— “Annabelle” spinoffs
million to produce — on pected in the third quar- lywood’s horror strategy which is its own kind of have been made for
the high end for a mod- ter of 2019, will focus on might shift. anomaly in the current $15 million or less.”We try
ern horror movie, but the adults. “Everyone has been moviemaking landscape to make the best movie
minuscule compared Mendelson predicts trying to mold them- that has relied heavily on that we can with the
to standard superhero “It’s” success could lead selves into this low bud- “micro” and low budget best content that we
budgets, which gener- to more modestly bud- get model that sort of horror films in the $3 to can using the best tal-
ally cost over $100 mil- geted Stephen King ad- doesn’t work anymore. $15 million range in re- ent that we can. We try
lion and often run north aptations, but cautions There are only so many cent years. to make it at the right
of $250 million. against thinking that its things you can do with It’s a strategy that has price. If the right price is
Even as the industry results can be replicat- a limited budget like worked well for Blum- small we’ll try to do that,”
continues to lament ed. that,” said Kailey Marsh, house Productions, the said Jeff Goldstein, who
the year’s lagging box “This was very much the who runs her own man- company behind the heads up distribution for
office, which is down ‘Beauty and the Beast’ agement company and “Paranormal Activity” Warner Bros.
around 5.5 percent from of horror movies,” Men- founded the BloodList, series, “Insidious,” ‘’The Marsh expects some stu-
2016, 2017 has been delson said, referring to which highlights unpro- Purge,” ‘’Sinister,” and dios to take note of the
good for horror with the Walt Disney Compa- duced “dark genre” this year’s “Split” and added return on invest-
massive successes like ny’s smash live-action hit scripts. “Get Out”— all of which ment that is possible with
“Get Out,” ‘’Split,” ‘’An- from earlier this year. “What I liked about ‘It’ cost under $15 million a slightly bigger budget.
nabelle: Creation” and “You have a movie that was that it looked and and most under $5 million “Because Hollywood is
now the new bar set by would have been an felt really expensive. It — and something other reactionary, and rightful-
“It.” event by itself, but you felt as expensive as a studios have latched on ly so, I am excited about
“If ‘It’ had made $120 also have the source $100 million movie,” she to as well. not having to develop
million total it would material that captures said. Aside from “It,” only a screenplays that are
have been a huge hit,” several generations of in- “It” hit a cultural nerve handful of horror films supposed to be capped
says Forbes contributor terest and nostalgia.” and become one of the past five years have at $10 million,” Marsh
Scott Mendelson. “This is Beyond a newly ener- those rare must-see touted budgets over $20 said. “You can get such
so unprecedented.” gized appreciation for event movies that all million, like “The Conjur- a better cast and such
There is already a sequel King’s box office poten- studios long for, but the ing” films which are also better quality in the long
in the works. “It” focuses tial (excluding “The Dark Warner Bros. and New from Warner Bros. and run.”q
Movie about marathon bombing

survivor premiering at hospital

By CRYSTAL HILL, Associ- screen at the Spaulding Re- premiere.
ated Press habilitation Hospital in Bos- Hurley was running the
BOSTON (AP) — The U.S. ton on Tuesday. It arrives in marathon and Bauman
premiere of a film chroni- theaters Sept. 22. was there to cheer her on
cling the story of Boston The movie stars Jake Gyl- when two bombs went off
Marathon bombing survi- lenhaal as Bauman and near the finish line. He lost
vor Jeff Bauman is taking “Orphan Black” actress Ta- his legs.
place at the hospital where tiana Maslany as Bauman’s The movie is based on Bau-
he and others who were in- then-girlfriend, Erin Hurley. man’s memoir of the same
jured in the 2013 deadly at- Bauman, Hurley and their name.Many of the people
tack were treated. on-screen counterparts are who treated Bauman play
The movie, “Stronger,” will expected to attend the themselves in the movie.q