Pennywise is currently the talk of the town, much to the horror of Derry’s Losers Club, and after floating past all expectations on its journey to a historic $123 million opening weekend, we imagine Stephen King’s shape-shifting abomination will remain perched at the tip-top of the domestic box office for weeks to come. It came, It saw, and It bloody well conquered.
But just as the Losers Club banish Pennywise to the depths of the sewers and the credits begin to roll, it’s revealed that Andy Muschietti’s horror redo is merely the opening chapter in a two-part horror saga, which shouldn’t be all that surprising to those familiar with Stephen King’s source material.
A sequel has finally been confirmed, too, and though negotiations between director and studio are said to be ongoing, Muschietti has now divulged some details on It: Chapter 2 in a new interview with Entertainment Weekly.
On the second movie, that dialogue between timelines will be more present. If we’re telling the story of adults, we are going to have flashbacks that take us back to the ‘80s and inform the story in the present day.
’80s flashbacks are a lock, as expected, though it seems the writer-director plans to incorporate some changes to Mike’s arc. Andy Muschietti is no stranger to placing his own stamp on King’s work, having sought out the author’s approval prior to the release of It, and it appears the former Mama director has a darker story in mind for Mike Hanlon. Or should that be Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther) for the sequel?
Per EW:
My idea of Mike in the second movie is quite darker from the book. I want to make his character the one pivotal character who brings them all together, but staying in Derry took a toll with him. I want him to be a junkie actually. A librarian junkie. When the second movie starts, he’s a wreck.
Hailed as a remarkable, deeply unsettling rendition of King’s horror masterclass, It Part 1 – The Losers Club is now playing in theaters the world over. Word is that the second chapter has been tentatively slated for a release in 2019, and those up-and-coming stars who played Derry’s freaks and geeks have already named their dream cast for the sequel.
