This summer was the most unsuccessful for movies in a long time. The movie box office has not seen a summer this bad since 2006, when movies including Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, X-Men: The Last Stand, and Cars debuted. Hollywood is in a clear drought with viewers, but their silver lining just came with the help of a little clown named Pennywise.

‘IT’, based on Stephen King’s groundbreaking novel,  is directed by 2013 ‘Mama’ director Andres Muschietti. The much-anticipated film made a cool $124 million in its opening weekend, easily making it the biggest opening weekend for a horror film! The previous title holders are ‘Hotel Transylvania 2’ and ‘Paranormal Activity 3,’ both of which made over $45 million in their first three days.

So, what made audiences rush out to the theater that they have been neglecting for the past few months? Maybe the amount of word of mouth it received over the weekend. Or maybe the fact that the film was certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a score of 86%. The critic consensus was that “IT amplifies the horror in Stephen King’s classic story without losing touch with its heart.”

Nostalgia was another huge reason people flocked to the cinema. The story, which takes place in the 80’s, is reminiscent of film’s like ‘Stand By Me’, ’The Goonies’, and most recently the Netflix original ‘Stranger Things’.  Adults young and old relate to both the setting and characters, making it an instant hit.

Of course, we must not forget about the 1990 iteration of IT. Tim Curry played the shape-shifting Pennywise, terrorizing children of the 1950’s. Thanks to this film, people of all ages can pinpoint the inception of their fear of clowns. Just about anyone can relate to the film while also being scared out of their minds by the horrifying elements that Muschietti crafted. The projector scene that made me jump out of my seat comes to mind.

All of this makes IT a very unexpected box office wonder. And, with no competition on the horizon, IT is set to become the highest grossing horror movie of all time. As little Georgie says in the film “you’ll float too.” Float right along with our expectations for the sequel.