It (2017 film)

Development and Production

Development for a new adaptation of Stephen King's novel began at Warner Bros. in March 2009, with David Kajganich initially attached to direct. The project underwent significant creative changes over several years, with Cary Joji Fukunaga taking over as director and co-writer in June 2012. Fukunaga developed a vision for the film but ultimately departed the project in May 2015 due to creative differences with the studio, particularly concerning the budget and the dark tone of his script. Muschietti cited a range of 1980s films as key inspirations for the movie's tone, including the horror of The Howling and The Thing and the adolescent adventure dynamics of The Goonies and Stand by Me, the latter also being a Stephen King adaptation.

The film's production was moved from Warner Bros. to its sister division, New Line Cinema, in May 2014, which specialized in horror. Casting for the role of Pennywise saw several actors considered or attached before Bill Skarsgård was ultimately selected. Will Poulter had been cast during Fukunaga's tenure but left due to scheduling conflicts after the director change, while other considered actors included Mark Rylance, Ben Mendelsohn, and Tilda Swinton. Muschietti chose Skarsgård in June 2016, impressed by his ability to balance a sweet, childish demeanour with a deeply disturbing undercurrent, which was essential for the ancient, predatory entity. For the young Losers' Club, an ensemble of relatively unknown child actors was cast, including Jaeden Lieberher as Bill Denbrough, Finn Wolfhard as Richie Tozier, and Sophia Lillis as Beverly Marsh.

Principal photography commenced in Toronto on June 27, 2016, and concluded on September 21, 2016. The production made extensive use of locations across the Greater Toronto Area to stand in for the fictional Derry, Maine. The town of Port Hope, Ontario, was used extensively for its well-preserved historic downtown, which provided the film's primary 1980s-era street scenes. Other key filming locations included Oshawa for the Neibolt Street house and the Riverdale neighbourhood in Toronto for additional exterior shots. To maintain the authenticity of the child actors' reactions, Muschietti intentionally limited their interactions with Bill Skarsgård in full Pennywise makeup and costume until their specific scenes were filmed. Composer Benjamin Wallfisch was hired in March 2017 to create the film's atmospheric and haunting musical score.

Plot Synopsis

In October 1988, in Derry, Maine, young Georgie Denbrough is lured into a storm drain by a clown calling himself Pennywise, who bites off his arm and drags him into the sewers. The following summer, Georgie's older brother Bill, who refuses to believe his brother is dead, and his friends Richie, Eddie, and Stanley are terrorized by a gang of older bullies led by Henry Bowers. Bill convinces his friends to help him search the marshy Barrens for Georgie's body, where they befriend new kid Ben Hanscom, who is researching Derry's long history of child disappearances. The group later expands to include bullied girl Beverly Marsh and homeschooled orphan Mike Hanlon, forming the Losers' Club.

Each member of the group begins to experience terrifying, personalized hallucinations from a shape-shifting entity they dub "It," which always culminates in an appearance by Pennywise. Ben is chased by a headless zombie, Beverly is attacked by a torrent of blood from her bathroom sink, and Eddie is harassed by a rotting leper. They deduce that It preys on their individual fears, awakening every 27 years to feed on Derry's children. Using sewer blueprints, they trace Its activity to an abandoned house on Neibolt Street. Venturing inside, they are separated and attacked by their fears before Beverly wounds Pennywise with a metal spike, forcing It to retreat.

After a period of separation due to trauma, the Losers reunite when Pennywise abducts Beverly. They return to the Neibolt house, where a now-murderous Henry Bowers attacks them before being defeated. Descending into the sewers beneath the house, they find Pennywise's lair, a cavern filled with circus detritus and the floating bodies of dead children. They find Beverly in a catatonic state after seeing the Deadlights within It's true form. Ben's kiss restores her. Bill is tempted by a vision of Georgie but recognizes it as Pennywise. The entity offers to spare the others and return to hibernation if they leave Bill behind, but the Losers refuse, collectively confronting and beating Pennywise. Beverly delivers a final blow, stabbing It in the head with a pipe, causing It to fall down a deep well. Bill finds Georgie's raincoat, accepting his brother's death. As summer ends, Beverly shares a vision of them facing It again as adults, leading the seven friends to swear a blood oath to return if Pennywise ever resurfaces.

Cast and Characters

The film features an ensemble cast led by its young actors, with Bill Skarsgård in the central antagonist role. Jaeden Lieberher portrays Bill Denbrough, the stuttering leader of the Losers' Club whose quest to find his missing brother, Georgie, drives the plot. Bill Skarsgård plays It, an ancient, trans-dimensional evil that most commonly manifests as Pennywise the Dancing Clown to lure children. Skarsgård aimed to create a version distinct from Tim Curry's 1990 miniseries performance, emphasizing the character's ancient, non-human, and child-like yet predatory nature. The other core members of the Losers' Club are Jeremy Ray Taylor as the knowledgeable and kind Ben Hanscom, Sophia Lillis as the resilient and abused Beverly Marsh, Finn Wolfhard as the loud-mouthed and comedic Richie Tozier, Chosen Jacobs as the gentle and observant Mike Hanlon, Jack Dylan Grazer as the anxious and hypochondriac Eddie Kaspbrak, and Wyatt Oleff as the pragmatic and rule-following Stanley Uris.

The adult supporting cast includes Nicholas Hamilton as the sadistic bully Henry Bowers, who becomes an unwitting pawn of Pennywise. Owen Teague and Logan Thompson play Bowers' lackeys, Patrick Hockstetter and Victor Criss, respectively. Stephen Bogaert appears as Beverly's sexually abusive father, Alvin Marsh. The film also features Jackson Robert Scott as Georgie Denbrough, whose tragic opening scene sets the story in motion. The actors playing the Losers' Club developed genuine off-screen friendships during the Toronto shoot, which director Andy Muschietti leveraged to create authentic on-screen chemistry and emotional depth within the group. This bond was evident in scenes requiring group emotion, such as when the characters huddle together crying.

Release and Box Office Performance

It had its world premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on September 5, 2017, and was released widely in the United States and Canada on September 8, 2017, in standard 2D and IMAX formats. The film was a monumental commercial success, shattering multiple box office records. The film demonstrated remarkable staying power, continuing to draw audiences for weeks. This figure made it the highest-grossing horror film of all time (unadjusted for inflation), surpassing previous record-holders like The Exorcist . It also became the third-highest-grossing R-rated film worldwide at the time of its release, trailing only Deadpool and The Matrix Reloaded . Subsequent re-releases, including a special engagement in 2019 to promote the sequel, pushed its lifetime gross to over $719 million. The film's performance proved the significant commercial viability of R-rated horror and led to a surge in studios greenlighting similar high-concept horror projects.

Critical Reception and Accolades

It received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its effective blend of horror and coming-of-age themes, the performances of its young cast, and Bill Skarsgård's chilling reinterpretation of Pennywise. Critics frequently noted the film's successful emulation of a 1980s Amblin entertainment style, combining genuine scares with a poignant story of childhood friendship and facing fears. The film's direction, cinematography by Chung-hoon Chung, and Benjamin Wallfisch's score were also singled out for praise. Many reviews called it one of the best film adaptations of Stephen King's work. The film appeared on numerous critics' year-end lists of the best films of 2017. Its accolades include a nomination for the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Sci-Fi/Horror Movie. The young ensemble cast collectively won the MTV Movie & TV Award for Best On-Screen Team, and Bill Skarsgård was nominated for Best Villain. The film's success was seen as a validation of its creative risks, particularly its decision to split King's lengthy novel into two chronologically distinct films and its focus on character development alongside horror set pieces.

Sequel and Expanded Franchise

The massive success of It Chapter One guaranteed the production of its concluding sequel, which was officially announced shortly after the first film's release. It Chapter Two was released in September 2019, directed again by Andy Muschietti and featuring screenplays by Gary Dauberman. The sequel adapts the second half of Stephen King's novel, following the adult members of the Losers' Club as they return to Derry 27 years later to honour their blood oath and confront Pennywise once more. The adult cast included Jessica Chastain as Beverly Marsh, James McAvoy as Bill Denbrough, and Bill Hader as Richie Tozier, with the young actors from the first film returning in flashback sequences.

Beyond the two-film arc, the franchise expanded with the announcement of a prequel television series for HBO. Bill Skarsgård reprised his role as Pennywise for the series, which premiered on HBO in 2025. The continued expansion of the franchise confirms the lasting cultural impact of Muschietti's 2017 film, which successfully reintroduced King's story and its villain to a new generation. The film's legacy also includes launching the careers of its young stars, particularly Finn Wolfhard and Sophia Lillis, who became prominent figures in subsequent film and television projects.

Canadian Production Context

The production of It had a substantial economic and cultural footprint in Canada, as the entirety of principal photography took place in Ontario in the summer of 2016. Toronto and surrounding municipalities in the Greater Toronto Area provided the key locations that convincingly doubled for the small-town American setting of Derry, Maine. The historic downtown of Port Hope, with its classic architecture, served as the primary backdrop for the film's 1980s street scenes, including the sequence where Georgie chases his paper boat. The community embraced the production, with local businesses and residents participating as extras and vendors.

Other significant Ontario locations included Oshawa, where the dilapidated Neibolt Street house was constructed and filmed, and the Riverdale neighbourhood in Toronto. The production's choice to film in Canada followed a long tradition of Hollywood studios utilizing Canadian locations and talent for cost-effective and versatile production. The success of It highlighted the capacity of Ontario's film industry to host major blockbuster productions, contributing to local economies and placing Canadian locales on a global stage. For Canadian audiences, the familiarity of these settings added an extra layer of interest to the film's cinematic experience.

Questions about It (2017 film)

Where was the movie It filmed in Canada?

The movie It was filmed entirely in Ontario, Canada, during the summer of 2016. Principal photography took place in the Greater Toronto Area, with the historic town of Port Hope serving as the primary stand-in for Derry, Maine. Other key locations included Oshawa, where the creepy Neibolt Street house was built, and the Riverdale neighbourhood in Toronto. The production leveraged these Ontario locations to create the film's authentic 1980s small-town American atmosphere.

Who played Pennywise in the 2017 It movie?

Pennywise the Dancing Clown was portrayed by Swedish actor Bill Skarsgård. He was selected by director Andy Muschietti after several other actors were considered or attached, including Will Poulter who was originally cast during Cary Fukunaga's involvement. Skarsgård aimed to create a version distinct from Tim Curry's 1990 miniseries performance, emphasizing the character's ancient, non-human, and child-like yet predatory nature. His performance was widely praised and became definitive for a new generation.

Is the movie It based on a true story?

No, It is not based on a true story. It is a work of supernatural fiction adapted from Stephen King's 1986 novel of the same name. King has stated that the novel was inspired by various mythological and folkloric concepts of predatory monsters, as well as his own childhood fears. The setting of Derry, Maine, is fictional, though it shares characteristics with several New England towns. The story's themes of childhood trauma, friendship, and facing fears are universal, but the events and characters are products of King's imagination.

Why was the It movie so successful?

It achieved record-breaking success due to a combination of effective marketing, a beloved source material, strong critical reception, and broad audience appeal. Its release timing in September, a traditionally slow period, allowed it to dominate the box office. The film expertly blended genuine horror scares with a heartfelt coming-of-age story about friendship, which attracted audiences beyond typical horror fans. The chilling performance by Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise and the authentic chemistry of the young cast were also significant factors in its word-of-mouth success and cultural impact.

What is the connection between It Chapter One and It Chapter Two?

It Chapter One (2017) and It Chapter Two (2019) form a complete two-part adaptation of Stephen King's 1986 novel. The first film, directed by Andy Muschietti, covers the story of The Losers' Club as children in 1988, ending with their initial defeat of Pennywise and a blood oath to return. The sequel, also directed by Muschietti, follows the same characters as adults 27 years later, honouring that oath to confront Pennywise for a final battle, thereby covering the remainder of the book. The second film features flashbacks with the original young cast, including Jaeden Lieberher and Sophia Lillis. This structure faithfully adapts the novel's dual timeline of childhood and adulthood.

Will there be another It movie after Chapter Two?

There are no announced plans for a third feature film continuing the main story from It Chapter Two, as the two films complete the adaptation of Stephen King's novel. However, the franchise has expanded with a prequel television series titled It: Welcome to Derry, which premiered on HBO in 2025. This series explores the origins of Pennywise and the history of Derry, with Bill Skarsgård returning to portray the clown. The cinematic story of The Losers' Club is considered concluded, but future projects could potentially be additional prequels or spin-offs within the same universe, as established by the television series.

Sources and further reading

• It (2017 film) (Wikipedia)
• It (2017) directed by Andy Muschietti • Reviews, film + cast (letterboxd.com)

Checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-10-22.