If you have ever read Stephen King’s It, you know that the original made-for-TV mini-series, while pretty awesome, didn’t really touch on all of the subtle nuances of the iconic horror novel. For a couple years now, rumors have been swirling about a remake of Stephen King’s It, and now it looks like It is finally going to happen. Casting is well underway; and, now, as NewNowNext reports, production of the remake of Stephen King’s It is officially slated to begin in July.
According to NewNowNext, the remake of It is supposed to delve much deeper into Stephen King’s original plot, and will go “much further” into some of the “most disturbing” aspects of the horror classic than the 1990’s version was able to.
After all, made-for-TV movies have more limitations than actual motion pictures.
First, take note of the casting background. In the remake of Stephen King’s It, the novel’s reprehensible teen bully, Patrick Hockstetter, is going to be played by Owen Teague.
In the novel It, Patrick is your quintessential teenage sociopath (the kind of kid who would grow up to have a freezer full of bodies); he is described in the book as trapping injured animals to die in a fridge, and keeping a box of dead flies. He is also depicted in the novel version of Stephen King’s It as having a sexual relationship with Henry Bowers, another crazy teen bully depicted in the novel.
The original made-for-TV It miniseries doesn’t even touch on the teen boys’ sexual relationship, which has been described as “reluctant but experimental.”
According to reports, the pair of bullies will have some pretty uncomfortable shared scenes in the upcoming film adaptation of It.
“Hockstetter also hides a dark, murderous secret that is in keeping with the content of It, and will probably shape his character in the film.”
If you recall anything about the original It movie, you’ll know that it was very long, which was why it was split into several parts for television.
The new film adaptation is also going to be made and released in multiple parts; two, to be precise. According to reports, the new version of Stephen King’s It will be broken in half, with the first film set in the past and telling the story of the characters’ teenage years. The main cast were a bunch of teen social outcasts, part of “The Loser’s Club,” tormented by bullies and a supernatural clown named Pennywise.
The second installment of the remake of Stephen King’s It will fast forward to the adult lives of “The Loser’s Club,” and tell the tale of how an adolescence spent fighting the demonic Pennywise would define the rest of their lives when it becomes apparent that Pennywise has returned to their hometown of Derry, Maine.
In the 1990s TV version of Stephen King’s It, the role of Pennywise the Clown was played by the incomparable Tim Curry. Since then, his famous face and persona have become the personification of one of the most memorable horror characters in the history of both books and movies. This time around, Pennywise is going to be played by Bill Skarsgard, and fans and critics alike are hoping that he can pull off the iconic Stephen King role.
Admittedly, he does have something of the look of a young Tim Curry. Folks are hoping that the Hemlock Grove star also has the acting chops to do justice to the role of Stephen King’s Pennywise.
Fans can expect to see the first part of the remake of Stephen King’s It in theaters on September 8, 2017, assuming production goes according to plan.
There has been no official word on when the second part will be released.
What do you think? Are you super stoked for the It remake? Do you think that they should have left the classic alone? Did the filmmakers make a good decision by tackling one of the book’s most controversial and disturbing story lines? Are you confident that this cast of young talent will be able to tackle a cult classic like Stephen King’s It?
[Image by Warner Bros. Television]