IT Chapter Two features a cameo appearance by one of the young Losers from the 1990 miniseries. Brandon Crane, who played Ben Hanscom in the 1960s timeline of the IT miniseries, has a brief role in Andy Muschietti's sequel to 2017's IT. Muschietti himself also has a cameo in the movie, as does legendary author, Stephen King.
Stephen King's IT was adapted for a two-part TV movie by Lawrence D. Cohen and Tommy Lee Wallace, and the latter also served as director. IT starred a number of notable cast members between the two time periods including John Ritter, Richard Thomas, Annette O'Toole, Tim Reid, Jonathan Brandis, and Seth Green. The star of the miniseries, however, was Tim Curry in the unsettling portrayal as Pennywise. When IT premiered on ABC during November 1990, it drew in nearly 30 million viewers. The miniseries became a cult classic in the decades that followed.
When IT was announced to become a remake, many loyal supporters of the miniseries had hoped that some of the Losers' Club would make an appearance. Muschietti made those wishes come true in IT Chapter Two through adult Ben Hanscom's storyline. In the first IT film, Jeremy Ray Taylor portrayed young Ben, a shy boy who was tormented because of his weight. 27 years later, the extremely handsome Ben (played by Jay Ryan) is now a successful architect. Grown-up Ben is first introduced leading a meeting through a video conference but one of his employees is revealed to be Crane, the actor who played Ben nearly 30 years ago.
Before IT Chapter Two shows Ryan's portrayal as Ben, the scene closely focuses on Crane's character, giving viewers a reason to question his importance. The employee sort of stumbles while leading the meeting in a similar fashion that young Ben struggled to share his thoughts. His involvement officially brings both universes of the Losers' Club together, if only for a brief time. Even though Crane's character has no real importance to the plot, it is amusing to see the character come full circle.
Crane shared the story (via TooFab) of how reached out to Muschietti prior to 2017's first installment and the two became friends. When IT Chapter Two went into production, the director reached out to Crane about his interest in a cameo. There was thought of making Crane one of adult Beverly's employees due to her character's connection with Ben. It later made sense to have his cameo surround adult Ben's impressive transformation.
Before Crane was asked to appear in IT Chapter Two, he hadn't worked in the industry in over a decade. His involvement reinvigorated his interest in acting as he now wants to pursue future projects. Crane continues to take pride in his miniseries role and Muschietti gave him an opportunity to reconnect to the character of Ben Hanscom. Don't be surprised if you see more of Crane in the near future.