Caffeinated Clint
New Line invited Moviehole to the ScareDiego event in San Diego onight, where everyone’s favourite redheaded funnyman hosted friends of film’s favourite frightening redhead. Cast and crew of September’s “It Chapter Two” hit the stage to yak with Conan O’Brien about the film, as well as preview several very exciting scenes from the highly-anticipated sequel and also premiere the new trailer.
The new trailer, which you’ll see tomorrow for yourself, is a doozie. Even O’Brien, who admitted to having to fake being entertained by the hundreds of shoddy trailers he has to sit through every year, seemed genuinely enthused by the killer preview- going so far as to describe it as a “fucking great trailer!”.
It’s not worth going too much into the trailer, since you’ll all see it soon enough yourself, but let’s just say it’s a cool simmer that results in a hot boil. Perfectly edited, equal amounts sweet and spook, and more than a few good money shots make it one of the best looking trailers to come along in a long time. Even better, it goes against the grain of revealing that happens in the film – keeping most of it’s secrets and surprises for the finished feature. I loved it.
The same could also be said for clips previewed for the audience tonight- they don’t give away too much, expect for those unfamiliar with Stephen King’s original novel. What the moments do show is the dynamite thrill-ride director Andy Muschietti has set up here, thrills and spills that work even more effectively because of the bravura performances of the cast – with James McAvoy, Bill Hader and, of course, Bill Skarsgaard (as Pennywise) walking away with any moment they appear in. Hader, in particular, is shaping up to be the standout of the film – unleashing humor and likeability in his take of the older Ritchie.
In the first scene shown, the loser’s club are reunited at a Chinese restaurant. It’s a pleasant and jovial-enough catch-up until the group start opening up their fortune cookies. What happens next is genuinely unnerving and masterfully crafted. In just this one scene alone, we develop such an affection and familiarity with the adult characters that we honestly begin to fear for them when that ‘scare’ pops up towards the end of the scene.
There’s another tense moment previewed in the second scene, which involves Bill (McAvoy)
trying to save a boy from the murderous clown inside a fun house. The scene – with it’s wonderful lightning and intense build-up- really pops!
A slightly spoilerific third scene follows in which the group head back to the Neibolt house. While we won’t go into what happens once inside – let’s just say it occurs in the kitchen – we’ll tell you that it’s a masterful moment from the book and earlier film adaptation that’s been imaginatively updated. Plus, there’s a piece of dialogue that serves as an intentional homage to John Carpenter’s “The Thing”. The fanboys go wild.
The Q&A with the cast covered a range of topics – some blissfully hilarious and some jaw-droppingly cool – from how everyone was cast, how Muschietti’s main influences are classic ‘80s horror movies, how the director and Chastain would ‘sing’ during takes, and how Skarsgard legit scared the actors. Interestingly enough, Muschietti admitted he’d love to remake “The Howling” – the classic ‘80s werewolf film from Joe Dante.
While “It” was an out-and-out winner, the next chapter looks to – if it’s even be possible – top it. The visuals are astonishing, the cast is on fire, and Muschietti has once again nailed the glorious blend of horror and heart. While only 15 minutes or so of footage was screened, coupled with the new trailer, it’s enough for New Line to be quietly content and secure in what they have here – which is undoubtedly one of the best horror films of 2019, maybe even the decade.
Because every 27 years evil revisits the town of Derry, Maine, “IT CHAPTER TWO” brings the characters—who’ve long since gone their separate ways—back together as adults, nearly three decades after the events of the first film. James McAvoy (“Split,” upcoming “Glass”) stars as Bill, Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain (“Zero Dark Thirty,” “Mama”) as Beverly, Bill Hader (HBO’s “Barry,” “The Skeleton Twins”) as Richie, Isaiah Mustafa (TV’s “Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments”) as Mike, Jay Ryan (TV’s “Mary Kills People”) as Ben, James Ransone (HBO’s “The Wire”) as Eddie, and Bill Skarsgård returning in the seminal role of Pennywise. Andy Bean (“Allegiant,” Starz’ “Power”) plays Stanley, and reprising their roles as the original members of the Losers Club are Jaeden Martell as Bill, Wyatt Oleff as Stanley, Sophia Lillis as Beverly, Finn Wolfhard as Richie, Jeremy Ray Taylor as Ben, Chosen Jacobs as Mike, and Jack Dylan Grazer as Eddie.
IT : CHAPTER TWO in theaters September 6
