It should come as no surprise that It: Chapter 2 already has a release date: September 6, 2019. Andy Muschietti’s theatrical reimagining of Stephen King’s classic novel, It, was instantly a critical and commercial smash. According to Box Office Mojo, It is domestically the highest grossing R-rated horror film of all time at $270 million, and it’s nearly the highest grossing supernatural film (it’s currently $23 million shy of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense).
The decision to divide King’s novel into two films not only allows Muschietti to explore in-depth the book’s 1184 pages, but also means a lot more money for Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema. Part one of both the novel and the film follows the young townsfolk of Derry, Maine as they’re being shadowed by Bill Skarsgård’s terrifying Pennywise. Part two will explore the same characters as adults now coping with their childhood trauma.
Co-writer Gary Dauberman signed on to pen the sequel earlier in September. Presumably, Muschietti will return to direct. Sadly, given the 27-year time jump between the two films, none of It’s excellent young actors will return for the full running time, though they may appear in flashbacks. This has created much fan speculation about Chapter 2’s potential cast.
Let’s hope they can find an adult as hilariously foul-mouthed as Finn Wolfhard.