Article contributed by Tyler Constable
The first chapter of Andy Muschietti’s retelling of Stephan King’s eponymous epic IT was a massive success upon release in September 2017. With a charismatic young cast of heroes (consisting of Jaeden Lieberher, Wyatt Oleff, Finn Wolfhard, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Chosen Jacobs) and, Bill Skarsgard’s bone chilling take on the ever terrifying Pennywise the clown, it’s no wonder the horror flick received worldwide critical acclaim. Two years on and the long-awaited sequel (simply deemed ‘IT Chapter Two’) is just around the corner. A final trailer was debuted recently at San Diego Comic-Con last month and we’ve got the breakdown for you.
As well as role reprisals from Skarsgard and the young losers, Chapter 2 introduces a new adult cast where James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Jay Ryan, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa, James Ransone, and Andy Bean step into the limelight. Taking place 27 years after the events of the first film, IT Chapter 2 sees the losers club reunited in Derry, Maine after a devastating event and a final standoff to once and for all defeat Pennywise ensues.
The trailer begins with the adult Mike Hanlon recounting the fact that once you leave the town of Derry ‘the farther away, the hazier it all gets.’ Hanlon himself however, is the only member of the losers to have remained in Derry for the last 27 years and subsequently remembers every detail about his last encounter with IT. A quick shot of some missing person’s posters then allude to a fresh series of unexplained murders, much akin to the opening events of the first film.
Dark menacing shots of the water filled sewers where Pennywise was first defeated, accompanied by a brooding musical score confirm the clown’s return in a scene adapted straight from King’s book: after a gay man, Adrian Mellon, is the victim of a homophobic attack, he is thrown into Derry’s canal and is soon discovered by Pennywise. This is followed by the losers reunion dinner, interspersed with flashbacks from Chapter 1 of the kids swearing an oath that if ‘IT’ ever returns to Derry, they will too. It’s here that we get our first clear look at the new adult cast and their young counterparts.
The scene soon moves to a shot of Derry town fair, as Pennywise pursues a child through a mirrored fun house as Bill attempts to rescue him. Ultimately becoming trapped on the wrong side of the glass and coming face to face with his foe, Bill appears more defeated than anything, pleading with the clown to spare the kid before the gruesome situation deteriorates.
In case the absence of red balloons so far was beginning to worry you, we soon catch our first glimpse of one. The losers former tormentor, Henry Bowers, seemingly met his end after plummeting down the Neibolt house well in chapter one. However, when Teach Grant was cast as adult Henry it was clear that the psycho somehow survived and he’s revealed to be scrambling around a hospital ward, captivated as a red balloon floats past the window.
Things only gets more hectic as the seconds tick by, as the adults return to the infamous 29 Neibolt Street house and the sewer system while Pennywise sinisterly states ‘for 27 years I dreamt of you, I craved you. I’ve missed you.’ While the past haunts all the losers, its particularly poignant for Bill who likely still harbours feelings of survivors guilt regarding the death of his younger brother. Pennywise is yet again able to exploit this guilt with young star, Jackson Robert Scott, reprising his role as Georgie. We see adult Bill revisit his childhood basement where his sibling stands, clad in his iconic yellow raincoat, and taunts ‘You lied and I died.’ We then see a harrowing shot of Beverley covered in gallons of blood, alluding back to her first encounter with IT 27 years ago. Confirming that Pennywise remains intent on having the losers revisit their long lasting fears.
The trailer’s final shot sees Pennywise with the majority of his clown getup stripped away as streams of blood pour from around his eyes replacing the trademark makeup. It’s certainly unnerving to say the least. This depiction could relate back to the initial Chapter 2 teaser, where a secondary form of IT, the elderly Mrs. Kersh (who now resides in Beverly’s old home) tells a tale of her father joining the circus. It could also be a look into Pennywise’s past and origins in Derry, first establishing the dancing clown persona. Whatever IT is, it’s sure to be terrifying.
In a recent digital featurette ‘IT Chapter Two – Come Home’, King mentioned how upon the first film ending, audiences applauded at the site of the message ‘the end of chapter one.’ Making it clear that they wanted more and next month more is exactly what we’re going to get. IT Chapter 2 is set to hit cinemas worldwide on September 6th with a stellar runtime off 2 hours and 45 minutes.
