Stephen King’s It Remains a Massive Hit on HBO Max

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Stephen King stories consistently perform well on streaming platforms. With the continued popularity of its top show on HBO Max, other titles based on his work are also gaining traction and climbing the charts.

Stephen King’s horror film It is experiencing a surge in popularity on HBO Max. It’s currently the second most-watched movie on the platform in the United States, behind Materialists. The 2017 film has been a consistent presence on HBO Max’s Top 10 list, and this marks its highest ranking in six days. It is also performing well internationally, appearing in the Top 10 charts in most countries where HBO Max is available. The sequel, It: Chapter Two, is also gaining viewers, currently at No. 6 in the U.S., though not as dramatically as the first film.

Andy Muschietti directed both It and It: Chapter Two. The first film, released in 2017, tells the story of the Losers Club as children in 1989. The second film continues their fight against Pennywise the Dancing Clown, but this time as adults in 2016. Sophia Lillis, Jaeden Martell, Finn Wolfhard, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Wyatt Oleff play the younger versions of the Losers Club – Bev, Bill, Richie, Mike, Ben, Eddie, and Stan – in both movies. As adults, these characters are played by Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa, Jay Ryan, James Ransone, and Andy Bean, respectively.

It Remains the Highest-Grossing Stephen King Movie

The first It movie was a huge financial success, earning over $704 million worldwide and becoming the highest-grossing film based on a Stephen King story ever – a record it continues to hold after eight years. Critics also generally liked it, with 85% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 391 reviews. While the sequel, It: Chapter Two, didn’t achieve the same level of critical or commercial success, it was still a hit, earning over $470 million globally and receiving a 62% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

The popularity of the It movies on HBO Max around the world is likely boosted by Welcome to Derry, a prequel that explores the origins of the story. Set in 1962, 27 years before the events of the original films, Welcome to Derry follows a family who moves to Derry, Maine, just as a young boy goes missing. Their arrival coincides with a series of disturbing events in the town. The series stars Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Clara Stack, Amanda Christine, and Mikkal Karim-Fidler, and features Bill Skarsgård reprising his role as It/Pennywise the Clown from the films.

It, It: Chapter Two, and It: Welcome to Derry are all available to stream on HBO Max.

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2025-11-11 20:36