2017 saw the birth of a new horror icon, though he’s been haunting Stephen King fans for years. Pennywise (Bill SkarsgĂĄrd), playing a role originated by Tim Curry, terrified audiences across the world, launching the film to box office and critical success. The Losers Club and Pennywise will be back this September to conclude the series with IT Chapter Two. Check out the haunting final trailer below.
Firstly, let us stress how perfect the casting is for the adult losers. Much has been made of the casting of James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, and Bill Hader as Bill, Bev, and Ritchie respectively, but I’m now completely obsessed with James Ransone as Eddie and Isaiah Mustafa as Mike. Mustafa brings a gravitas necessary to portray a man who’s lived with the trauma of remembering Pennywise for his entire life, and while I initially doubted Ransone’s casting given my own desire to see Adam Scott as Eddie, he looks absolutely perfect.
The Losers have grown up and mostly moved away from Derry, and in turn forgotten about the monster that stalked them as kids. But now, 27 years later, Pennywise is back and hellbent on revenge. The trailer teases his monstrous actions, including the death of Adrian Mellon (Xavier Dolan), a gay man living in Derry whose homophobic torture and gruesome death mark Pennywise’s return after hibernation.
I’m hoping that Mike is now a town librarian and historian, since they gave his role to Ben in the first film. Mike is a stellar character who deserved more development than he received in the first film, and I hope the second gives him more to do. The trailer opens with him talking about how you forget Derry when you leave, so that points to him maintaining his book role.
Obviously, this is a scary movie and the trailer looks downright horrifying. There’s a frightening funhouse scene involving Bill, a hall of mirrors, a child, and Pennywise that will undoubtedly terrify audiences silly. If you’re looking for a horror movie to see opening night, this will be one to make sure you see. The visuals are strikingly gorgeous and haunting, which means this film will probably be an instant classic just like the first one.
IT is perhaps my favorite Stephen King novel, and I look forward to seeing how the second part is adapted for the big screen. While there will obviously be scares, there will also be an emotional level to the film as well, especially involving the adults dealing with their childhood trauma. I look forward to seeing this cast delve into the meat of the story while still running for their lives. IT opens on September 6th, 2020 so get ready to float again.
(image: Warner Bros)
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