$100m+ opening wkend

yeah, i guess this all adds up. also, the movie had a massive hype even before it went into production, when true detective director cary fukunaga was in talks to helm it. now the movie is out and accompanied with great reviews, as opposed to 'the dark tower' (16% rottentomatoes).

The first one is definitely the biggest factor.

The last one comes second. The rest I don't think had that much impact.

117m

Minus the no competition part (true to a degree but the film built up so much hype in the last year, it was expected to exceed expectations - yet still not like this), I believe it was all of the above. Undoubtedly the appeal of the 1990 version was a huge factor, although it's safe to say this one introduced It to a new generation.

Moreover, it's worth noting the first trailer gained an insane amount of views, and these days a movie's success can be predicted based on the popularity and buzz it has online. The marketing of course, e.g., the replica of the IT haunted house being open to visitors, added a lot to the excitement. And finally I think the praise it's been getting has been a big plus overall... which clearly wasn't the case for The Dark Tower.

So all in all, pretty cool to see it smash records and all.