Stephen King has always had a knack for making childhood seem absolutely horrific. One of my favorite novels of his of course is the spooky tale of Pennywise the Dancing Clown, aka IT. And while I had an appreciation for the 1990 mini-series, that adaptation is nothing compared to the fantastic new feature film starring Bill Skarsgård as the creepy clown ready to terrorize the children of Derry, Maine. Director Andy Muschietti is at the helm, offering up some of the best moments from the novel, crafting one of the best films of the year. IT is a hauntingly scary good time, and it may also have you reaching for Kleenex.
Much of the success of IT comes from an incredible cast. We recently sat down with Jaeden Lieberher (Bill), Jeremy Ray Taylor (Ben), Sophia Lillis (Beverly), Finn Wolfhard (Richie), Chosen Jacobs (Mike), Jack Dylan Grazer (Eddie) and Wyatt Oleff (Stanley). During our conversations, Jaeden, Jeremy, Sophia and Jack talked about their introduction to the book and how they connected during the shoot. Finn, Wyatt and Chosen opened up about working on the film. And the cast even shared a couple of scary locations in the neighborhood they grew up in. This is an incredible group of young actors, and needless to say they are absolutely brilliant here.
Finally, we sat down with both Andy Muschietti and producer Barbara Muschietti. The two talked about their approach to the material, and while we haven’t seen who The Loser’s Club will grow up to be, it is clearly being discussed. Andy also talked about how closely they followed the novel, and the challenge of following up an original story like MAMA and taking on the work of this legendary author. IT is phenomenal. It's a stunning work that is equal parts terrifying and heartbreaking. And yes, IT will haunt you. I don’t think I need to tell you this, but make sure you check out The Loser’s Club as they take on the mysterious and evil IT, in theatres Thursday night.