IT: Chapter 2, the sequel to the immensely popular adaptation of Stephen King‘s IT, is currently in production. So far, we have little information about what will feature in the film aside from hints from behind the scenes pictures and some comments made by Andy Muschietti in interviews. Even those who have read the book can’t say for definite that they know how it will pan out, as with any adaptation it is always difficult to guess what will be kept in, what will be cut, and what will be added that wasn’t a part of the book at all.
Director, Andy Muschietti recently confirmed in an interview a little while ago that the turtle from the books would feature in the sequel. The only mentions of the turtle in IT: Chapter 1 were a few, super subtle, references. However, the god-like counterpart to Pennywise will have a more significant place in IT: Chapter 2.
About the turtle, the director said:
“In the book, they somehow address the turtle and say ‘the turtle couldn’t help us.’ But I think in the second part, the turtle will try to help them. In the second movie, the turtle left a few clues to their childhood that they don’t remember. They have to retrieve those memories from the summer of 1989, and that’s how we jump back to 1989. The keys to defeating to Pennywise are left in the past, and as adults, they don’t remember.”
Now the screenwriter, Gary Dauberman, has confirmed that a complicated scene from the book will feature in the movie. The scene in question is The Ritual of Chüd, which is a mad battle between the Losers’ Club and the evil Pennywise. In the book, to partake in the ritual a battle takes place on another spiritual plane of existence. Meanwhile, someone must stick their tongue out and put it on top of Pennywise’s. The two of them must bite down on both of the tongues and then tell each other jokes. The one that laughs first gets sent to the netherworld.
Even those who have read the book, I’m sure have trouble comprehending the strangeness of the scene. About the inclusion of the ritual, Dauberman said:
“The Ritual of Chüd is challenging, but it’s such an important component to the book that we had to address it. That stuff is difficult to balance, but because [director Andy Muschietti, producer Barbara Muschietti and I] worked with each other before, when I’m writing pages and all that stuff it becomes more of a conversation and less like, ‘Hey, here’s what I did.’ It’s sort of organic; it’s really kind of just chipping away at the stone and trying to find the most focused, accessible way into some of more metaphysical aspects of that book…”
“I think that’s something that Andy gave a lot of thought about, which was great, because as I was kind of chugging along through the Adrian Melon stuff and sort of more the stuff that’s in the book that you kind of just want to see on screen. I’m writing that stuff, and Andy would kind of go off and think about Chüd and how he wants to visually represent all that stuff. He just came up with some brilliant, brilliant stuff… It really is going to be amazing.”
It will certainly be interesting to see these crazy and confusing events on the screen, it certainly seems like it will be a hard one to pull off.
What IT: Chapter 2 on September 6, 2019.
What do you think about the ritual being included? Let us know in the comments!