First look at remake of Stephen King’s ‘It’
Warner Bros. Pictures and MTV offered early glimpses of the 2017 remake of Stephen King’s It, directed by Andrés Muschietti. The project revived a story that had terrified readers since 1986 and viewers since the 1990 miniseries. The film opened in theaters on September 8, 2017, and immediately established itself as a commercial and cultural milestone.
The story unfolds in the fictional town of Derry, Maine. When children start vanishing, a group of young outsiders confronts Pennywise, a shape-shifting clown whose violent history stretches back centuries. The Losers’ Club must band together to survive their worst fears and stop the creature before it claims more victims.
Cast and Characters
Bill Skarsgård took on the role of Pennywise, bringing a lean, unsettling presence that echoed yet departed from Tim Curry’s 1990 portrayal. Finn Wolfhard, already known from Stranger Things, played Richie Tozier. Jaeden Lieberher, now credited as Jaeden Martell, portrayed Bill Denbrough. Sophia Lillis played Beverly Marsh, while Jeremy Ray Taylor, Wyatt Oleff, Chosen Jacobs, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Nicholas Hamilton rounded out the young ensemble. Many of these performers went on to sustained careers in film and television after the release.
Release Information
The film premiered on September 8, 2017, in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Its two-part structure mirrored the novel’s split timeline, with the first installment centered on the children’s encounter and the second following the adult survivors. The sequel arrived on September 6, 2019, completing the adaptation that had been announced years earlier.
Other Stephen King Adaptations
The same year brought several other King projects to screens. The Dark Tower reached theaters and Gerald’s Game premiered on Netflix. Hulu launched the anthology series Castle Rock, which ran for two seasons. The Mist received another television attempt, while a new Firestarter remake eventually emerged under different auspices. More recently, Mike Flanagan’s planned adaptation of Carrie entered development, showing that studios continue to mine King’s catalog for fresh material.
Box Office and Commercial Impact
The 2017 film ultimately grossed more than $719 million worldwide. At the time it stood as the highest-grossing horror movie when measured without inflation adjustment. It also ranked as the third-highest-grossing R-rated film then in release. Those numbers surprised even studio executives who had hoped for a solid performer rather than a global phenomenon.
Critical Reception and Awards
Critics responded with an 85 percent Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviewers highlighted the young cast’s chemistry, Muschietti’s direction, the film’s cinematography, and Benjamin Wallfisch’s score. The picture earned a Critics’ Choice nomination for Best Sci-Fi/Horror Movie, confirming that mainstream reviewers took the adaptation seriously despite its genre roots.
It Chapter Two: The Adult Story
The sequel, again directed by Muschietti, shifted focus to the grown Losers’ Club. James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, and Bill Hader led the adult ensemble, supported by returning cast members in flashback sequences. The film opened on September 6, 2019, and collected $473 million globally. Reviews proved more divided than the first chapter, yet audiences turned out in large numbers to see how the story concluded.
Legacy and Franchise Expansion
The 2017 release helped reignite studio interest in Stephen King properties. Skarsgård reprised Pennywise for the sequel and later returned for the HBO prequel series It: Welcome to Derry, which premiered in October 2025. A second season is already in development. Decades after the novel first appeared, the story continues to generate new chapters across film and television, keeping Derry’s dark reputation alive for contemporary audiences.
