Very recently, our sister site, , ran a report that production might begin later this month on the second installment of New Line Cinema‘s two-film adaptation of It. The report came courteous of a site listing shooting dates for the project in late March, coupled with a synopsis clearly meant for the second film.
While it now appears that the shooting dates later this month are nothing more than a quick round of additional photography for the first film, rumors are still rolling that It 2 (or It: Part 2) will still be shooting sometime this year. This summer, in fact, if our current sources are correct.
Many had wondered if New Line would wait until It hits theaters this September to see whether or not a second film would be financially warranted. From the sound of things, they have already made that decision in advance.
The studio has held an early screening of the film at least once already and word is that they have a winner on their hands. As a result, they are eager to move forward with the rest of their adaptation. That desire can only be strengthened after the this past weekend.
So what’s the scoop? According to our sources, not only will an official teaser trailer for the first film be released by early April, but we should be getting an announcement of the second film’s cast sometime in April as well. Furthermore, production is currently expected to begin on the second film this summer, months in advance of the first film’s release.
If you’re not aware of the source material, Stephen King’s original novel primarily took place across two time periods as a small group of outcasts battle a shapeshifting, otherworldly being who has a penchant for eating children. Their first fight with “It” came in the 1950s when they were kids. Their second and final battle with the fiendish foe came three decades later in the 1980s when they were adults.
While the novel jumped back and forth between the two time periods, the films are telling the story in a linear fashion. The first film will cover the story of the kids, which has now had its timeframe moved up to the 1980s. The proposed second film will cover the story of the adults. Who will play the adult versions of the children? Your guess is as good as mine, but I won’t be too surprised if New Line has managed to score some name (or at least semi well-known) actors for the parts. The first film is filled with a lot of unknowns, so it seems like that the studio might stack the cast as best they can for the latter half.
As a fan of the novel, I certainly hope this round of rumors prove true. While I do not object to the way they have split the novel, my biggest fear was that the first film wouldn’t do well enough at the box office to get the second one greenlit. Our cinematic history over the last 15 years alone is littered with partially-completed adaptations and I would hate to see Stephen King’s It sitting alongside them. Now that worry might be gone, whether or not It (Part One?) does well when it arrives on September 8th.
