While Stephen King is an iconic author and screenwriter, having inspired the basis for countless films and television projects, the films related to his work were never really considered blockbusters. However, that changed when one particular adaptation was released and became the biggest horror movie based on Stephen King’s works. Now fans can view this film, Stephen King’s biggest movie, on Netflix.
The title was recently added to the streaming service, allowing subscribers the opportunity to view the movie that rejuvenated the market for Stephen King adaptations. In fact, the success of this particular movie has been sought after but never quite duplicated. Even its own follow-up never quite reached the same levels of success.
Of course, while the success of the film is quite impressive, it’s not altogether surprising. This particular story became a generational affair by shocking readers, then viewers of a much earlier television adaptation, and eventually becoming a pop culture sensation that gave way to this modern adaptation. It makes sense, then, that viewers of all ages were eager to check out the film and give it the audience needed to become the biggest movie based on King’s works.
The 2017 horror film is none other than IT, also known as IT: Chapter One, which adapted a portion of King’s 1986 novel IT. The novel, first adapted for the small screen as a 1990 miniseries, revolves around a group of friends as both kids and adults. They band together to fight an extraterrestrial entity that can manifest as their fears, but most often takes the shape of a clown named Pennywise.
The somewhat friendly guise allows the entity to lure children, and once they’re in Pennywise‘s sight, the creature can feed on their fear and kill them. It’s a very interesting premise, one that is expanded on greatly to include a story of epic proportions. It’s no surprise, then, that IT: Chapter One became one of King’s first major blockbuster successes. The title grossed $704.2 million at the worldwide box office with a $35-40 million budget.
Netflix subscribers who are also Stephen King fans or might be interested in checking out King’s biggest movie can now do so by watching IT: Chapter One. It’s also a good opportunity to revisit the story so that fans will be prepared for the upcoming HBO series IT: Welcome to Derry. The new show will precede the events of the IT feature films, telling the events surrounding the town’s past and the origins of Pennywise.