Stephen King. Also known as: the world’s leading authority on convincing adults it’s a sterling idea to keep the lights on at night. The prolific horror author has left many devoted readers quaking beneath their blankies – and in front of their screens. It’s no secret that adaptation rights to the his work are snapped up faster than he can churn them out, as his name is a surefire guarantee of a built-in audience. So, it comes as little surprise, what with The Age Of The Remake in its stride, that one of his most popular novels, It, has been earmarked for a reboot.
Today’s news comes from The Hollywood Reporter, who report that the long-gestating project has shifted studios. For the last five years, the film has languished at Warner Bros. – but it shall fester no more now that it’s been allocated to their genre division, New Line. Cary Fukanaga (True Detective, Sin Nombre) who has been attached to the project since 2012 is still set to direct the flicks. That’s correct – two It movies.
It may seem like a cash-grab maneuver, but we’ve got to say, the idea of splitting King’s mammoth tome into two instalments makes sense. The book details the trials of The Losers Club; a bunch of unpopular kids who band together and face an unspeakable evil (who manifests as a sewer-dwelling clown) in their town of Derry. Years later as adults, they return home after a spate of child murders that can only mean one thing: It’s back. According to THR, the first film will follow the kids’ story and the second will end on their adult encounters with the beastie.
The studio we’ve to thank for this is also taking a trip home. New Line is now being earmarked as Warner’s horror outlet – as if we didn’t know that already. For fans of fright, they’ve been pioneers and are returning to their roots. If it weren’t for their risk-taking, we wouldn’t have A Nightmare On Elm Street, The Hidden, Critters, In The Mouth Of Madness, Seven, Freddy vs. Jason and the Friday The 13th reboot.
The reboot burst to life in 2009 when writer Dave Kajganich (The Invasion) was announced as the film’s writer. His first draft was reportedly rather scary – the studio were intending on an R-rating, allowing for darker elements of the novel to appear. A little unlike the original TV adaptation from 1991, with Tim Curry as the unsightly clown. Alright, so it’s not TERRIBLE – but the ending? Fukanaga has since taken over scripting duties – and we’re hoping the move to New Line means that R rating holds fast.
Here’s to the new iteration of It giving us nightmares for months – now that it’s finally making headway.