Warner Bros. Floats to No. 1 at the Box Office

Riding the frighteningly substantial coattails of Pennywise the Clown, Warner Bros. has ascended to the top of the domestic box office heap, amassing a 19% year-to-date market share through the September 17th weekend. It's been four years since the Dream Factory ruled the roost, propelled in 2013 by big ticket blockbusters such as Man of Steel, Gravity, and The Hobbit, and by surprise hits such as We're the Millers, The Great Gatsby, and The Conjuring. This summer WB has enjoyed a string of breakout films, including the zeitgeist level success of Wonder Woman, early Oscar favorite Dunkirk, surprise winner Annabelle: Creation, and of course It, the movie that is breaking every R-rated/horror movie/September release, box office record known to man. Sure, the studio had to hold its nose a bit as it dumped the DOA King Arthur: Legend of the Sword onto the marketplace in May, but the year started on a solid note with strong (if not otherworldly) results from The Lego Batman Movie and Kong: Skull Island. With The Lego Ninjago Movie, Blade Runner 2049, and Justice League still to come, look for Warner to extend its lead over rivals Disney and Universal heading into December, and flirt with the $2 billion domestic box office milestone for only the second time in its storied history.

Pagebreaks Take: While Warner Bros. is likely to take a lead into December, look for Disney to reclaim the crown by year end behind the strength of twin towers, Thor: Ragnarok and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

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