One thing I never understood about cinematic adaptations of Stephen King stories is why they were mostly TV movies or mini-series instead of theatrical releases. The Langoliers, Salem’s Lot, The Tommyknockers, and The Stand, to name but a few.
Well one of King’s novels that was unjustly adapted into a TV mini-series rather than a theatrical film, was It. The mini-series has undoubtedly earned a loyal cult following (the performance of Tim Curry as the clown Pennywise is what the majority of people probably remember most), however, it always felt like a story ripe for a big-screen adaptation.
Well, it looks like that’s exactly what’s going to happen: Stephen King’s It is making it’s way to the big-screen. Warner Bros. will be behind the film, with Vertigo’s Ray Lee and Doug Davison producing alongside Dan Lin. The Invasion writer Dave Kajganich has been pegged by WB to adapt the book for the big-screen. No director has been pegged as of yet, although I’d like to throw Frank Darabont’s name into the ring – he has proven himself successful at adapting other King works like The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile and The Mist. He’d be perfect for It.
For those of you not privileged enough to be fans of Stephen King, here is the story outline for It:
“It” centers on seven children in a small Maine town who confront the source of a series of murders in 1958 and again in 1985, when the cycle begins again.
The stories of Stephen King have been prolifically adapted for the screen over the years, but more often than not, the adaptations don’t compare to the books. The Shawshank Redemption is about the only one out of the bunch that most people agree is “better than the book,” but even then that was originally a short story and not a full novel, so depending on how you look at it, you could reasonably argue that it doesn’t count.
If they were to take a previously incarnated King story and do it properly on the big-screen then I’d like that they go down The Langoliers route. With an adequate budget and the right creative team behind it, I think that could be a fantastic sci-fi film.
However in general it’s great to hear they are attempting a King story once again (it’ll never get old, no matter how many times they may mess up), and I think most would agree that It is a damn scary bit of source material for a film. The big question is whether or not the filmmakers will once again have It appear as the maniacal clown Pennywise (and if so will Tim Curry play him again?), or will they go down a different route. After all, if you remember correctly, in the original story It was an entity that could manifest itself in the form of someone’s deepest fear–in the case of the seven children that the story centered on, that fear happened to be an evil clown. A new take on the story could possibly result in a new take on how It manifests itself.
I also wonder how they are going to boil this 1100+ page book into a couple of hours of movie. As is always necessary with literary adaptations they will have to cut out a lot of stuff, but the challenge for the filmmakers is choosing which parts to cut and which to keep in. It’ll certainly be interesting to see how they fare at it.
However, Hollywood, I’m begging you now – please don’t turn this into a generic horror/thriller or even worse: another torture-porn movie. IMO, Stephen King deserves better than that.
Are you happy that they are bringing Stephen King’s It to the big-screen? Or is it fine as in the form of the ’90s mini-series?
Source: Variety
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Awesome! I watched the miniseries versions only like last year! Had some pretty freaky scenes, and the definitive demonic clown..
By far the scariest movie I’ve ever seen. I had nightmares after watching it. Then I read the book. Had nightmares again
Having read the book, I hope they take the same route as the mini series did, which is leave out the crazy ending. The first part of the book gave me scares I did not even know were possible from reading. The second part and the ending left me unsatisfied. It’s just too crazy .
I hope they take a more realistic approach. They already said it will be set in today’s time.
At the same time, this has “teen horror” written all over it. That’s what it is but it was done right, at least in the mini series.
Btw, I have both the book and the DVD and I still hide them. Seeing the cover of both gives me a really strange and uncomfortable feeling still to this day. Call me a wimp but IT had a big impact on me as a kid.
I have never read a King book. When it comes to IT would you watch or read IT?
One more thing is the MIST even worth watching?
Ray O,
The Mist is a good “Sunday Million Dollar Movie” rent.
As for IT, all I have to say is:
HIYA GEORGIE!!!
Ray, I personally really liked MIST (the Frank D. version). I thought it was very well done and the ending was awesome.
But, to each his own, and there are a lot of people that did not like it. It’s DEFINITELY worth watching and seeing how you like it.
I’d say watch it, then read it. Overall, the movie worked better, in my opinion. the book however has a lot of more details and scared the crap out of me (until the ending). Also, the book is 1300 pages and the movie, I believe, is 3 hours.
I’d say you HAVE to see the movie just for the portrayal of Pennywise. That way, when you read the book, you’ll have an image of what the clown looks like and it will make the book even more scary.
Outlaw & 139,
Thanks for insight I’ll check out both
movies.
If they do it right, it would be terrific. Unfortunately, I have no faith in Hollywood’s ability to do one of King’s “other-worldly” novels right. They do decent jobs on stories like Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me (based on The Body). Even Misery was fine, but it depended on a human character to be chilling, not on the unexplainable. Hollywood’s versions of Pet Semetary, Cujo, Christine, and so on, are more humorous (inadvertently) than they are scary.
I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!. I can’t stop laughing at the fact that when my wife’s cousin used to come over i would have him watch that. Then i would turn out all the lights in the house and do pennywises voice, would scare the crap outta him.
the scariest book that I have ever read.
I have to agree, that this was one of King’s definative works, scared me so much I couldn’t sleep. Talking about a monster that physically manifests itself outta your deepest childhood fears, sorry man that is just EVILLLE. The problem with the miniseries was the casting. They got about half of the characters right and the other half was simply laughable. That tends to be the case imho with most of the King stories, great stories but the casting directors rarely seem to be acquainted with the story material else they wouldn’t have cast it the way that they did. I would agree that Darabont gets it tho, which explains why he’s done better with the source material than most.
For example, anyone else buy Martin Sheen as Greg Stillson in The Dead Zone? Christopher Walken was fantastic, as was Herbert Lom and Brook Adams and Tom Skerritt, but Sheen yeeech… (and I like Martin Sheen, but this wasn’t his role sadly) As Stillson was supposed to be more of a big looming smiling sinister type, y’know Brian Dennehy? Same thing with It, Richard Thomas in the lead, really? you’re kidding me right? Tim Reid, Harry Anderson, Annette O’Toole, Tim Curry not a problem, Dennis Christopher, John Ritter and Johnboy?
“we all float down here”
I did a monologoe for my acting class about A crazy clown yesterday,
And I was talking to a classmate about IT!
Creepy coincidence .
Evil clowns are EVERYWHERE!
@Ross: one would suspect that it was never turned into a film because of the length of the source material. The TV miniseries assumedly would have lead to greater flexibility.
Also, if you/I recall correctly, Pennywise commonly adopted the form of a clown for various people.
NO! Not a good idea at all your guna ruin a classic story, there doesnt need to be another because the orginal will always be the best one! And Tim Curry was perfect as Pennywise!!
The Mist was a great movie get out n watch it now!!
Fellow screenranters: I present to you evidence of why no film version will ever top the miniseries: #1: Tim Curry could not do the role the same justice he did then, and no one else is suited to the job(trust me, folks, he’s one of a kind) and #2: “Kiss me fat boy!” is the best movie quote I can think of. To try and top this already-made classic is like trying to Reboot the Sting so it can be whored out for money. Redford would literally eat someone’s face if he lives to see it.
Ross
My guess for the TV miniseries thing with King’s work is his ussual style: Big characterization. You can sum up the premise in a line or two (maybe three) and most of the time simple but original (no matter how many books he writes, he manage to find good stories) and these are siren chants for moviemaking, especially horror.
But the thing is that those tales are a bit hollow without the character development (and even worse without the adecuate cast or budget). That’s why most of his horror adaptations fail.
The 6+ hours miniseries at least give a try on leaving some of the details and developing that his novels have.
I find myself very sceptict about doing a better job than former adaptation (which i didn’t like) in less that 2 hours for a HUGE book like IT.
I love the Original IT, one of my all time favorite movies. Amazing film.
Would definitely see it if it came out on the big screen.
it shud be 2 films
one that foucses on them as kids
the other as adults
There is no way to do this justice in one movie even if it is 3+ hours…ONe of the reasons the book was SO GOOD was the length of time you had to get to know the characters and watch this bunch of survivors/misfits gel as friends because of thier common link..they all survived Pennywise..King knows how to write kids characters..I’ve read the book at least ten times and it had me cheering, ranting & shouting(when the werewolf is chasing them in the basement and down the street), shuddering(when George’s photo winks at his brother and how he is killed right at the beginning), laughing at the way those kids interacted and teased each other..I think it is a modern horror masterpiece!! Can’t be done any justice in one movie..IMPOSSIBLE I SAY!!!
It’s been so long since I read the book that I don’t really remember what all happend. All I know is that it was a real good book. The mini series they made I didn’t care for really. If the new movie could be better than that then I’d probably watch it. His books are always better than the movies by far though.
I agree with Adam, split it into two movies. Release the “kiddie” film one summer and the “grown-up” film the next summer. Regardless, it will never compare to the novel
No one will outdo Tim Curry’s It. I loved the book and the Mini-series, but without Tim Curry as Pennywise – not interested.
do yall think they’ll Tap Curry for the Film ?
and if not who would be PennyWise ?
I am HUGE fan of the book and the mini series, I have been waiting for someone to turn it into a cinematic masterpiece, I really like the idea of splitting it into two parts, brining back Tim Curry (if possible) and getting Frank Durabont on board.
The mini series was terrible, it missed out 75% of the story i.e The fire at The Blackspot, How IT arrived on Earth etc and if was Mr King I would have been horrified at such an abomination. Anyway the movie should be split into two or even a mini-series trilogy but at least keep story intact
when is this?
Definitely read the book first just in case Hollywood fudges it… I still won’t/can’t look down the drain hole in the shower!!!! and I’m 67 years of age!!! Thank you Stephen King – LEGEND!!
I would just like to say it’s about time!! That book terrified me when I was a teen. I know people are going to hate me for saying this..but I thought the mini-series kinda sucked. I mean, Tim was great but not as scary as what I expected. Pennywise just always seemed so much more terriying in the book..and so did, what was his name, Butch I think, The bully. I thought that Tim Reid was great casting but that was it. I never got why they used actors from a bunch of silly sitcoms for the leads. Some kind of lost irony I suppose. Ritchie never said Beep-Beep right. What happened to the Turtle? And, I mean, John-Boy? I was just a kid and I remember thinking that half these people were trying to save what was left of their career by doing this project. Didn’t work. I hope the big screen film does the novel justice. By the way, I am a HUGE Stephen King fan. Storm of the Century was just as great as a silver screen film. It’s one of my top faves for his film work. The Tommyknockers and the orignal Salems Lot were great pieces too. I just think It was miscast and not big enough.