In the latest entry of our ongoing series, Screen Rant’s Ryan George reveals what (probably) happened in the pitch meeting for IT Chapter Two. Directed by Andy Muschietti, this horror sequel sees the self-dubbed Losers’ Club return to their home town of Derry to put a stop to that evil murder clown Pennywise once and for all.
A 27 year time jump means a whole new cast, so IT Chapter Two stars James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader, James Ransone, Isaiah Mustafa, Jay Ryan and Andy Bean as the adult versions of the Losers’ Club. The child cast from the first movie also return, though since the actors are all going through puberty they had to be de-aged using VFX. Why are the kids returning as well? Because IT Chapter Two is all about taking a trip down memory lane, as the adult Losers wander around Derry recovering lost memories and collecting totems that they need for the boss battle at the end of the movie.
The IT movies represent a trend of the horror genre producing one box office hit after another in recent years. IT and IT Chapter Two have collectively grossed more than $1.1 billion at the box office, which means that a prequel movie called IT: Origins (or something along those lines) is all but inevitable. He might be an ancient extradimensional being that likes to hang out in sewers and eat children, but Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise sure is a lot of fun.
Unlike the first movie, in which Pennywise was just a shape-shifting monster with a vague backstory and big lights at the back of his head for some reason, IT Chapter Two actually delves into the mythology of Stephen King’s novel… which means that the actors have to try and say “the Ritual of Chüd” many times over with a straight face. And after all that, the Ritual of Chüd doesn’t actually work, so instead the Losers ultimately defeat Pennywise by just being really, really mean to him until he shrivels down to the size of a Chucky doll and they can rip his heart out.
It may not have been as good as the first movie, but IT Chapter Two definitely has its moments, such as Pennywise manifesting as an adorable Pomeranian, Beverly being chased around by a giant naked old lady, and Richie fleeing from a big CGI statue of Paul Bunyan. At least in the end the evil was defeated and Pennywise is dead… for now.
More: IT Chapter Two Easter Eggs, Cameos & Stephen King References