It: Chapter Two is a monstrous Hollywood horror movie of untold proportions, but will it signal the end of New Line’s Pennywise saga? Yes, in all likelihood, but that hasn’t stopped writer-director Andy Muschietti from, ahem, floating ideas for a possible third installment in the franchise.
That’s according to Pennywise himself, Bill Skarsgård, who spoke to JoBlo leading up to the global debut of Chapter Two, which has since gobbled up $322 million worldwide (and shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon).
Asked straight-up if there’s a possibility that It: Chapter Three could receive the green-light, Skarsgård entertained the idea, before admitting that both he and Muschietti have discussed possible scenarios that would take viewers on a completely new journey independent from the Stephen King source material.
Andy and I have discussed ideas for what a third movie would look like. I don’t think it’s quite what people expect. It’s something different. The first two stories are the book, and the second film is the end of that story. So we would do something quite literally off book. There are a few ideas floating around. I feel like I’ve done what I can with the incarnation of Pennywise as we know of him, so I think it would be a cool idea to change up a few things. So, without going into too much detail, there is a story that we’re kind of excited about, but it’s way too early to say. But we’ll see, we’ll see.
If there is to be a future for Skarsgård’s Pennywise, this is how to do it: create an episode(s) that stands on its own two feet, all the while honoring the conclusion of Chapter Two, which effectively delivered on all of the big moments tucked away within the pages of Stephen King’s horror tome. It’s the best of both worlds, really, and would ensure a future for Skarsgård’s dream eater because, let’s face it, the towering Swede is so damn magnetic as King’s abomination, we’d pay to see him slip on that famous guise without a second’s hesitation.
For now, though, we’ll have to make do with Skarsgård’s tour-de-force performance in It: Chapter Two, which is now playing in theaters worldwide.