15 Movies You Thought Were Doomed (But Weren't)
10. It
By most reports shooting on last year's It adaptation actually went incredibly smoothly, but given the arduous process of actually getting the film before cameras, it wasn't easy to believe it'd actually turn out worthwhile.
True Detective's Cary Fukunaga was hired to write and direct a two-part adaptation back in 2012, and though fans were high on Fukunaga's desire to tell a gritty, unconventional horror movie, Warner Bros. eventually parted ways with him.
Fukunaga would later comment that the studio wanted a more typical, commercial horror film, though Fukunaga did nevertheless receive a screenwriter credit on the final movie, as his script was eventually rewritten by Gary Dauberman to be closer to Stephen King's novel.
With Mama's Andres Muschetti hired to direct the film, fan expetations weren't high, and it seemed likely that It would end up a generic horror flick at best. Word of the movie getting an R rating in early 2017 and a tantalising marketing campaign were encouraging, but few could've seen the movie's immense success coming.
It opened to effusively positive reviews, with some deeming it one of the best King adaptations ever, while the $35 million production grossed over $700 million worldwide, breaking numerous records and becoming the highest-grossing horror film ever.