Master of Horror Stephen King's novel It was first adapted for a made-for-TV movie in 1990 and it's been justifying, if not creating, people's fear of clowns since then. Like all good things, It was announced to be getting a reboot on the big screen. That reboot is set to be rated R according to a producer attached to the project.
When the remake was announced last year True Detective director and executive producer Cary Fukunaga was set to write and direct. Will Poulter was cast as Pennywise, the aforementioned clown, which was really a "shape-shifting entity" that manifests itself as a person's worst fears. For all you Harry Potter fans think of a boggart. Fukunaga would later leave It and would be replaced by Andy Muscietti (Mama).
Collider spoke to It producer Roy Lee who revealed filming is expected to begin "later this year." Lee also told Collider what the plans for the film are and more.
Lee said the original script written by Fukunaga and Chase Palmer has been rewritten, but that it will follow the idea of splitting the adaptation into two films.
The first of the two films will show the group of friends fighting Pennywise as children and then as adults in the follow-up film as opposed to King’s novel which switches back and forth between the two periods.
"It is very close to the source material in one way but very different if you look at it as a literary piece of work," said Lee. "We're taking it and making the movie from the point of view of the kids, and then making another movie from the point of view of the adults, that could potentially then be cut together like the novel. But it's gonna be a really fun way of making this movie."
In an interview with Complex published last month Poulter, who most recently starred in The Revenant, told us he wasn't sure if he was still going to portray Pennywise following Fukunaga's departure. "It was a challenging prospect to be playing an out-and-out villain," said Poulter. "Y'know, truthfully, I don't know what my fate is when it comes to playing Pennywise. I was cued to start shooting and Cary Fukunaga was set to direct. The situation has changed, and I don't know quite exactly what that means for me in this moment. But, yeah, I was flattered by getting the part."
In his Collider interview Lee didn't talk about Poulter as Pennywise, so I guess we'll have to wait and see.
