Top 10 Need To Know 'It' Movie Facts

The anticipation for this film went up like a balloon after audiences got their first look at Pennywise the Clown. So it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that people were eager to watch the teaser trailer when it debuted in March 2017. But few could’ve expected this level of interest. Within its first 24 hours online, the teaser trailer posted to YouTube earned 197 million views - a new record that far surpassed 139 million views achieved by the old record holder, “The Fate of the Furious”. This means it also managed to exceed the likes of “Beauty and the Beast,” “Fifty Shades Darker,” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” That must’ve made Pennywise smile.

As if hype wasn’t already through the roof, director Andy Muschietti generated even more buzz for his movie via Instagram. On June 24, 2016, Muschietti posted a photo of red balloons in his office, indicating that pre-production had wrapped up. A couple of days later, he shared a photo of a director’s chair, letting his followers know that principal photography had started in Toronto. Since then, Muschietti has regularly released behind the scenes pictures showcasing the film’s cast, sets, and props - not to mention some haunting concept art. He even uploaded a series of missing person posters featuring children from Derry. Man, this has got to be the creepiest photo album ever… well, the second creepiest.

You know how the number 237 has a weird connection to Stanley Kubrick’s interpretation of “The Shining?” Well, the number 27 is oddly linked to this Stephen King story. For starters, in the original novel, it’s mentioned that Pennywise resurfaces every 27 years. Jonathan Brandis, who played Bill in the 1990 miniseries, tragically committed suicide at age 27. This remake is coming out in 2017... 27 years after its predecessor. Bill Skarsgård, who plays Pennywise in this version, turned 27 one month before the film’s release on September 8, 2017. Speaking of which, if you add all the numbers in this release date together, guess what number you get? A coincidence? Meh, probably…

It’s been a long trip to the big screen for this adaptation. The project initially got off the ground in 2009 with director Cary Fukunaga onboard. Best known for his Emmy-winning work on “True Detective,” Fukunaga remained at the movie’s helm until he dropped out in 2015. According to Fukunaga, his exit stemmed from creative differences with New Line. He reportedly wanted to take an “unconventional” approach to the story and make Pennywise “more than just the clown.” While Fukunaga is still getting a screenwriting credit for his contributions, Andrés Muschietti of “Mama” ultimately took over as the film’s director. Shooting finally commenced in 2016, seven years after development started.

Played by Nicholas Hamilton, Henry Bowers torments the Losers’ Club along with his fellow troublemakers, which includes Logan Thompson as Vic Criss, Jake Sim as Belch Huggins, and Owen Teague as Patrick Hockstetter. As sadistic are these bullies can be, the actors portraying them are actually quite friendly behind the scenes. On social media, the Bowers Gang and the Losers’ Club can be seen palling around in a variety of photos. During an interview, Hamilton noted that it was fun getting to play such a psychotic character. He also thanked his co-stars for being so tolerant, as this role required him to terrorize the hell out of them when the cameras were rolling.

Before Cary Fukunaga entered the equation, Matt and Ross Duffer asked Warner Bros. about directing an “It” movie. The studio turned them down because they reportedly weren’t “established” filmmakers. As one door closed, however, another opened. The Duffer Brothers were subsequently inspired to create the Netflix Original Series, “Stranger Things,” which shares a few parallels to “It.” Both take place in a small town, centering on a group of young misfits that encounter a supernatural entity. On top of all that, Finn Wolfhard, who broke out into fame as Mike Wheeler, would go on to land the role of Richie Tozier. How many kids can say that they’ve confronted a killer clown and a Demogorgon?

After Cary Fukunaga left the project, his original script went through some significant rewrites, particularly concerning the sexual content. One notable scene that reportedly didn’t make the cut featured Beverly Marsh’s father trying to rape her. There were also supposedly scenes where Henry Bowers molests a sheep and masturbates all over a birthday cake. Had these disturbing moments been included, there’s little doubt that “It” would’ve joined the exclusive NC-17 club. The MPAA might’ve let the horror, violence, and language slide, but graphic sexual acts tend to push them over the edge, especially when it involves minors.

Although Bill Skarsgård was present for much of this film’s production, Andrés Muschietti decided to keep him away from the young cast when shooting began. Skarsgård didn’t even start filming until about halfway through principal photography. When the kids finally met Skarsgård, it was on-set during a scene. The director felt that this would help build a genuine sense of terror. His methods paid off, as the kids were reportedly surprised to discover just how terrifying Skarsgård was. The actor playing 7-year-old Georgie in particular had quite a scare when he saw Pennywise in a storm drain. Of course after getting past the menacing makeup, the children found that Bill is generally a pretty good guy.

The “It” miniseries was split into two parts with the first half primarily focusing on the Losers’ Club as kids and the second reuniting them as adults. The filmmakers behind the movie have a similar formula in mind. This 2017 movie, alternatively known as “It: Part 1 – The Losers’ Club,” takes place in 1989 when our young heroes first encounter Pennywise. If the film proves successful, it’ll likely get a sequel set thirty years down the line. This follow-up would mainly center on the grownup cast, but still include flashbacks to their childhood. Seeing as how the source material is over 1,000 pages long, we’re not sure how they could’ve squeezed everything into one movie.

Since the original miniseries was made for network television, it had to tone down some of the more disturbing elements of King’s novel. This remake won’t shy away from the darker material, though, doing the source material justice with an R rating. The film will reportedly include several subplots that didn’t make it into the miniseries, such as Eddie Kaspbrak meeting the Leper and Henry Bowers’ relationship with Patrick Hockstetter. Although the violence and sexual undertones are being taken up a notch, the film will still probably draw a line somewhere. For example, it’s hard to imagine the book’s child orgy scene making the cut.