Stephen King’s IT was a massive hit in the fall of 2017, and we can’t wait for the second half of the story to arrive this September.
IT CHAPTER TWO has the characters we loved from the first movie, with more of Pennywise the Clown (Bill Skarsgård) and maybe some genuinely bizarre subplots. The sequel follows the same group of friends introduced in the first chapter. But the IT CHAPTER TWO story picks up 27 years later.
The evil of Pennywise has appeared in Derry, Maine, once again. Realizing that they didn’t destroy Pennywise when they were kids, the grown-up members of the Losers’ Club reunite to do the job right.
Here’s everything we know about IT CHAPTER TWO. (Note: Because the film is based on a book, we know a lot more than usual for a sequel. We won’t give any of the surprises away.)
The It Chapter Two Release Date
This one is easy! IT CHAPTER TWO comes out on September 6, 2019, which is almost exactly two years to the day after the first movie. (IT opened on September 5, 2017.)
The It Chapter Two Trailer
The first footage from IT CHAPTER TWO premiered at CinemaCon 2019 in Las Vegas, on April 2, and arrived online a month later. Recently, though, a second, longer look at the terrifying sequel dropped, as Warner Bros. brought the IT cast and footage to San Diego Comic-Con. The new trailer is terrifying! It shows grown-up versions of the Losers’ Club — played by Bill Hader, Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy — confronting the embodiment of fear, the clown Pennywise, in their childhood hometown.
The It Chapter Two Director
Andy Muschietti is back to direct this sequel. While the original movie was developed by Cary Joji Fukunaga (of “True Detective” fame), Muschietti took over long before the film was shot. He developed the sequel, picking up right after the release of IT. And Gary Dauberman, who wrote the final script for the first movie, also wrote the IT CHAPTER TWO script.
The It Chapter Two Cast
The coolest thing about the new movie is a chance to see the characters as children and adults. All of the young actors return from the original movie, and now they’re paired with some great talent (above) to play each character as an adult.
Here’s a quick rundown: James McAvoy and Jaeden Martell are Bill Denbrough, the leader of the Losers, whose brother’s murder by Pennywise kicks off their showdown with the demon. Bill is now a successful writer, married to a successful actress, Audra Phillips, played by Jess Weixler.
Jay Ryan and Jeremy Ray Taylor play Ben Hanscom, who was bullied for his weight and who wrote a poem secretly professing his love for Beverly Marsh. As an adult, he’s a noted architect.
Jessica Chastain and Sophia Lillis play Beverly Marsh, whose abusive home life forced her to keep her friendship with the other Losers secret. As an adult, she’s a well-known fashion designer.
Bill Hader and Finn Wolfhard play Richie Tozier, the loudmouth of the group who, in the novel at least, becomes a popular DJ in Los Angeles.
Isaiah Mustafa and Chosen Jacobs play Mike Hanlon, who stays in Derry to become the town librarian and effectively the custodian of the group’s experience fighting Pennywise.
James Ransone and Jack Dylan Grazer play Eddie Kaspbrak, the asthmatic friend who often can’t evade his overprotective mother. In the book, he has done well in his adulthood as the owner and operator of a limo business.
Andy Bean and Wyatt Oleff play Stanley Uris, who grows up to be a lawyer.
And Bill Skarsgård, of course, plays Pennywise the Dancing Clown, aka a nearly ageless demon who has fed on children for centuries.
The It Chapter Two Story
Here’s where we’ve got to walk a fine line. So, the first movie ended with the Losers’ Club believing they had defeated Pennywise and vowing to return to Derry if the evil ever came back. Guess what? It comes back!
We don’t know precisely which elements of Stephen King’s original novel the new script adapts. Speaking broadly, Mike Hanlon stayed behind in Derry while the rest of the friends moved on. He’s the only one who really remembers what they encountered that summer. When murders begin occurring in Derry 27 years after their battle with Pennywise, Mike calls the rest of the group back to defeat it for good.
So, much of IT CHAPTER TWO follows the Losers’ Club as adults. They struggle to get back to the childhood feelings that allowed them to stare down their fears almost 30 years ago. And there are flashbacks to the summer they bonded in the first place. We’ll see memories each character has repressed. (Which might explain why we didn’t see some of that stuff in the first movie.) We might also learn some pretty wild truths about the true nature of Pennywise.
Come back to the AMC Scene for more info on IT CHAPTER TWO as we get closer to release on September 6!
