IT has crossed another massive milestone. The Stephen King adaptation has officially eclipsed the $500 million mark at the worldwide box office, making it by far the highest-grossing R-rated horror movie ever released. Considering that the movie had a reported budget of just $35 million, that will make IT not only one of the highest-grossing movies of 2017, but easily one of the most profitable ones as well.

From the very first teaser trailer that was released for IT earlier this year, it was very evident that director Andy Muschietti had crafted something that audiences were going to respond to. But the level at which the movie has succeeded has surpassed even the loftiest expectations anyone had. Now, after less than a month in theaters, the movie has already made more than a half billion dollars at the box office. That would be a tremendous number for any movie, but for an R-rated horror movie, it's unheard of. Sue Kroll, president of worldwide marketing and distribution at Warner Bros., had this to say about the milestone.

"Crossing $500 million is rarified air for any film, but for a horror film it is history-making, and we could not be prouder. The filmmakers and cast did more than make a box office hit; they created a communal, must-see moviegoing event that has reverberated around the globe and is still going strong. We congratulate Andy Muschietti, the extraordinary producing team, and everyone involved in 'It' on reaching this amazing milestone."

So what other records can IT try to break as it continues its run at the box office? The biggest one would be to become the highest-grossing horror movie worldwide of any rating. Currently, that record belongs to The Sixth Sense, which made $672.8 million worldwide during its run. Considering that IT should still have some legs at the box office, that number is very much still in sight. Maybe Warner Bros. can find some way to give the movie another boost around Halloween. IT has already outgrossed The Exorcist ($441.3 million), which held the record for an R-rated horror movie for more than four decades.

Considering the unprecedented levels of success that the movie has enjoyed, it's no surprise that New Line has already given the green light to IT: Chapter Two, which is slated for release on September 6, 2019. Director Andy Muschietti is expected to return, but no deal has been officially inked just yet. However, considering the success the first movie has enjoyed, it would only make sense for the studio to do anything they can to keep the same team in place.

As Variety notes, IT has yet to open in Russia, Germany, Italy and Japan, all of which are solid markets. The Stephen King adaptation also had the biggest opening weekend for any horror movie in more than 30 international markets and has become the top-grossing horror movie ever in 17 of those markets. To say the least, Pennywise the clown and The Losers Club are huge hits all around the world.