We’ve known for a while now that a big screen adaptation of Stephen King’s It was on it’s way (cue child-psychologists the world over getting ready to make a lot of money) and now Heat Vision is reporting that Cary Fukunaga, the young writer/director who successfully adapted Jane Eyre last year, has been given the task of inciting an entirely new generation’s phobia of clowns.
And he’s going to do it twice.
Clocking in at just over 1000 pages, It was always one of King’s heftier tomes, featuring a whole lot of crazy between its covers. The book was previously adapted in 1990 as a mini-series on ABC, famously starring Tim Curry as Pennywise the clown, and even with a 3-hour total running time, it couldn’t touch on all the horrors of its source material.
Fukunaga and co-writer Chase Palmer, who recently adapted Frank Herbert’s Dune for Paramount, will now be splitting the script over 2 separate films, so as to give the entire story justice.
The horror tale follows a group known as the Losers Club who as teens discovered and seemingly destroyed an evil creature lurking in the sewers beneath their home town in Maine. The creature would take on the appearance of whatever it’s victim feared the most, so cue creepy fanged clown. Now as adults, the group is drawn back to Maine, as the evil seems to be resurfacing and they are the only ones who can stop it, despite mysteriously not having any memory of the first battle.
No word yet on whether Fukunaga and Palmer will be splitting the narrative into the first film dealing with the kids, and the second with the adults. Either way, don’t expect visits to the circus to be any fun for a long time afterwards.
Last Updated: June 8, 2012
Christo Kruger
June 8, 2012 at 09:29
I’m not sure they could really fit everything into the story. There is a particular scene at the end that will never make it past the censors (or even the public for that matter). Still love to see a good adaptation though. And Tum Curry as Pennywise.
Noelle Adams
June 8, 2012 at 13:08
I assume you’re talking about the gang-bang? lol.
The old miniseries/film was only rated PG-10 but it gave both myself and my sister nightmares when we were little.Fukunaga did a fantastic, atmospheric job with Jane Eyre. A Stephen King adaptation sounds like a weird choice for him but I’m sure it’ll be creepy as all hell, with strong performances.
Kervyn Cloete
June 8, 2012 at 14:14
With the exception of The Dark Tower series, I’ve never been that much of a Stephen King fan, so I’ve never actually read this book. But now I think I might just do that.
Because of the upcoming movie of course, and not the gang bang :p
Geoffrey Tim
June 8, 2012 at 12:30
No Tim Curry, no dice.