Stephen King's 'It' scores record opening with $123.4 million

Stephen King wrote "It." Warner Bros. and New Line made "It." And audiences seem to love "It."

The new freaky-scary film by that title broke records over the weekend as the largest September opening and largest opening for an R-rated horror film in North American theaters, industry data showed on Monday.

It, starring Bill Skarsgard as a creepy clown who terrorises children in a sleepy Maine town, pulled in $123.4 million, industry monitor Exhibitor Relations reported.

The movie, from Argentine director Andy Muschietti, comes amid one of the slowest cinematic summers in years -- and likely would have done better but for the impact of Hurricane Irma on Florida moviegoers.

Coming in second -- but left far back in the dust -- was another new release, Home Again from Open Road Films, with a take of just $8.6 million. The romantic comedy has Reese Witherspoon unexpectedly finding herself living with three young men after a separation from her husband.

In third was a movie that had clung to a box office lead for three straight weeks, The Hitman's Bodyguard from Lionsgate, which netted $4.8 million.

The action comedy stars Ryan Reynolds as a bodyguard hired to protect a notorious hitman played by Samuel L. Jackson.

Next was another Warner Bros. horror film, Annabelle: Creation, which took $4 million. It is part of the popular Conjuring series of movies.

And in fifth was Wind River from the Weinstein Co., at $3.1 million. It stars Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen as federal agents trying to solve a murder on an Indian reservation.

Rounding out the top 10 were: Leap! ($2.4 million), Spider-Man: Homecoming ($2 million), Dunkirk ($1.9 million), Logan Lucky ($1.7 million), The Emoji Movie ($1.1 million).