Top 10 Things That IT (2017) Did Differently
Books to movie adaptations are never perfect, and with IT having a TV miniseries from the 1990s, there are plenty of differences worth noting from all versions of the story! WatchMojo presents the Top 10 Biggest Changes made by IT 2017! But what will take the top spot on our list? Will it be the more graphic R-rated style, the film losing the flashback storytelling aspect, or Georgie's death? Watch to find out!
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#10: The Era in Which the Story Takes Place
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In the book, the Losers first encounter the intergalactic terror known informally as Pennywise the Clown in the summer of 1958, and 27 years later, they return to finish IT off. The mini-series was close, but chose 1960 for the original encounter, and 30 (not 27) years later for the second fight. The 2017 adaptation moved the story to the late ‘80s, updating the time period for a more modern audience, and hitting on all those nostalgic notes. While that would place the second fight in the upcoming Part 2 in 2016, many moviegoers noted that the film’s 2017 release date saw IT returning to screens 27 years after the first adaptation.
#9: Patrick Hockstetter
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Patrick Hockstetter, one of the more sinister members of Henry Bowers’ gang, is a character from the original book that was left out of the 1990 adaptation. His death comes before any of the other bullies meet their fates. While his demise in the 2017 film is chilling, in the novel Patrick’s death is downright gruesome. After making sexual advances on Henry in a junkyard, Bowers threatens to tell the police about Patrick’s junkyard fridge, where the troubled youth keeps dead animals. After Bowers leaves, Patrick goes to dispose of the carcasses, but upon opening the fridge is attacked by IT, manifested as bloodsucking (and flying!) leeches. IT sucks him dry, and drags his body to the sewers.
#8: Blood Oath
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In the book, having successfully vanquished IT– or so they hope – the Losers make a solemn promise to return to Derry should Pennywise ever rise again. While the spirit of this was maintained in the 1990 adaptation, the severity of the promise was minimized, as the kids simply touch hands and link arms. As the AIDS crisis was still in full swing in 1990, the producers probably didn’t want to show kids mixing blood so casually. In 2017, just like in the book, they use a blood pact to illustrate the seriousness of their promise, slitting their hands with a broken bottle as they swear to one another to come back if the job ever needs finishing.
#7: Mike’s Parents
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Most of the parents (and adults in general) are absent in the 2017 adaptation, because Pennywise’s influence over the town compels the grown-up townsfolk to look the other way, but no parents are quite so absent as Mike Hanlon’s. They’re deceased, which is quite a change from the novel and the 1990 miniseries. In the book, Mike and his parents are constantly the target of racist comments and aggression, and his father and Henry Bowers’ father have a long, dark history. However, in the 2017 adaptation, both Mike’s mother and father are dead, and he’s being raised by his grandpa.
#6: Henry Bowers
In the 2017 film (like in the book) Henry is not just a little punk but a child of abuse, learning torment and prejudice at this father’s knee. His shattered mental state even leads him to kill his own father before pursuing the Losers. However, his 2017 screen exit is where things really deviate from the book and the miniseries. Instead of following the Losers to the sewers, flanked by buddies Belch Huggins and Victor Criss, Henry goes after the Losers alone, and after a brief fight with Mike tumbles down the well. If he survived the fall, he probably still has an important part to play in Derry.
#5: The Neibolt Street House
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While it’s an important location in the book, the Neibolt Street House never made an appearance in the 1990 miniseries. However, the haunted house was given its proper due by director Andy Muschietti and crew. More than just a creepy building, the Neibolt House is IT’s above-ground lair, and in some ways, is an extension of IT itself, kind of how the town of Derry also is. Under Pennywise’s influence, the house can play tricks on the minds of anyone foolish – or brave enough – to go inside. Since it’s the site of their first battle, Neibolt is where the Losers begin to understand the power of their friendship.
#4: Beverly Marsh
Beverly’s fears about adulthood are wrapped up in her own sexuality. In the 1990s miniseries, she was just one of the Losers; a working class girl with an abusive father. In the 2017 version, it’s clear that her father is a pervert who “worries” about her, and at school she has the unfair reputation as a slut. Womanhood and sex are her greatest fears, and the 2017 film does not shy away from those themes. The book’s infamous and polarizing sex scene, where she turns her fear into an act of love for her friends in an attempt to “grow up,” however, did not make it into the latest adaptation.
#3: Georgie’s Disappearance vs. His Death
In both the book and the miniseries, it is very clear that little Georgie Denbrough is dead, dead, dead. In the book he meets “Bob Gray” aka Pennywise aka IT in the storm drain while chasing his paper boat. While the iconic set-up is the same in all three, what varies is the final execution (pardon the double entendre). In all three, Georgie’s arm is ripped off; in the book and miniseries, the boy bleeds out (off camera in the miniseries), and is confirmed dead. In the 2017 film, his arm is torn off, but he is then dragged into the sewer. This plants false hope in Big Bill, and the audience, that maybe the missing kids can be saved.
#2: More Cursing and Violence
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In the opening scene with Georgie and Pennywise, the 2017 adaptation quickly establishes one thing: it earned that R rating! Made for TV, the 1990 version was cleaned up enough to be enjoyed at home by families. And while it’s still enjoyable, the miniseries could never quite achieve the terror of the book. However, Muschietti’s R-rated film salted things back up, with lots of f-bombs and crude humor from the kids, and plenty of graphic violence and horror. As a result, the 2017 version is more terrifying, and a truer adaptation of the book overall; and hey, ol’ Steve is the “King” of horror for a reason.
#1: Flashbacks vs. Linear Storytelling
In both the book and miniseries, the story is set during the Losers’ adult phase, with the events of their terrifying childhood told in flashbacks. As a result, the rising action of each timeline, young and grown, is experienced in tandem. In the book, this is even more effective, since as adults the Losers have forgotten everything that happened and must help each other piece things together, adding a dark mystery component. However, in the 2017 film, the timeline is linear, featuring only the adolescent Losers, with their adult lives to be explored in the sequel. Both forms are effective, although individuals surely will have their preferences.
