It: Stephen King adaptation on course to surpass The Exorcist as highest-grossing horror film

Stephen King adaptation It will today become the highest-grossing horror film of all time in the US surpassing The Exorcist.

The film, featuring murderous clown Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard), has enjoyed huge international success since it opened earlier this month. It's new status as 'the king of horror' will see it overtake the lifetime takings amassed by William Friedkin's classic in America since 1973 - $232.9m/£172.5m (Deadline points out that Warner Bros' feat discounts films some may consider horror, namely The Sixth Sense, Jaws and I Am Legend).

Despite the record, It is set to be knocked from the top of the US box office by Matthew Vaughn's spy sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle starring Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, Julianne Moore and Channing Tatum.

Internationally, Andy Muschetti's horror currently sits at $386m (£286m) which is behind The Exorcist's $441.3m (£327m) - but considering it's managed those takings in just three weeks, it's no stretch to assume It is on its way to becoming the biggest horror film of all time.

Great news for Stephen King on his 70th birthday.

No such fun for Darren Aronofsky's experimental horror mother! starring Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem. Having failed to reach its box office projections last weekend earning just $8m ($5.9m) in its third week, the film was handed a rare F grade from audiences leading to an official defence of the film from Paramount.