Stephen King's IT Finds a New Director
New Line Cinema has been developing a big screen adaptation of Stephen King's It for years. Cary Fukunaga (True Detective) was set to helm the two-part film that he wrote, but he ended up dropping out due to budget issues that wouldn't allow him to achieve his cinematic vision for the story. It sounded like he was on the right track, and I was excited to see what he would done with it.
THR is now reporting that Andy Muschietti will replace the Fukunaga in the directors chair. He is the guy who directed the horror film Mama. This worries me. Mama had a strong first half, but the second half of that film was complete rubbish. He seems to have a decent visual style, but I'm definitely not as excited about him directing It as I was for Fukunaga. I just feel like now, the movie went from potentially great to potentially mediocre. We'll just have to wait and see.
New Line is now on the hunt for a new screenwriter to rewrite the script to fit Muschietti's vision. The good thing is that they still plan on telling this story as a two-part film. It's really the only way it could be done properly.
As for Will Poulter, the actor who was cast in the role of Pennywise the clown, he's no longer officially attached to the film. The report does say that he could possibly return. It all depends on scheduling and "other factors." I was excited to see his take on the murderous clown who torments the children of Derry, Maine.
It is one of my favorite King novels, and even though I'm not feeling very optimistic about it at this point, I do hope that Muschietti surprises fans with something amazing.