Almost canceled after losing its first director,Stephen King’sITmovie is back on track with a new person behind the camera.THRreports thatAndres Muschiettiis in negotiations to take the helm for New Line. The movie has been without a director since May. There has been quite a lot of juggling when it comes to the big screen adaptation ofStephen King’sIT, and for a short time, it looked like it might not even happen.
Cary Fukunaga, best known for his work directingTrue Detective, was hired to turn the thick tome into an epic blockbuster. That soon turned into two movies, and the budget ballooned. The director walked sightingcreative differences. Then it looked like the movie wascanceledaltogether. But it transferred from Warner Bros. to New Line, where it was said the budget had been wrangled in and was under control.Cary Fukunagahad been developing the horror classic for several years before bailing on the project this past Memorial Day.
Producers Dan Lin, Roy Lee, Seth Grahame-Smith and David Katzenberg all view the thriller as a major priority for the studio. They began searching for someone new to take over just moments after it was clearCary Fukunagawas not going to be sticking around. It isn’t known at this time who else was considered for the job.ITshould have started shooting in late June. A new start date has not yet been set, and it’s unclear whenAndres Muschiettiwill finalize his deal. Once that happens, New Line will begin searching for a new writer to tailer the script toAndres Muschietti’s vision.
The plan for a two-part movie remains in place. The first movie will follow a group of 7 children terrorized by an eponymous being, which exploits the fears and phobias of its victims in order to disguise itself while hunting its prey.ITprimarily appears in the form of a clown in order to attract its preferred prey of young children. The second movie will follow the 7 individuals as grown ups, as they set out to defeatIT.Will Poulterwas originally set to playPennywise the ClowninCary Fukunaga’s version. His involvement is not known at this time. The actor, best known for his roles inWe’re the MillersandThe Maze Runner, is not officiallysigned on. But there is a possibility that he will return depending on scheduling and a few other factors.
Andres Muschiettiis best known for his surprise horror hitMama, which marked his feature directorial debut in 2013. He co-wrote the film with his sisterBarbara Muschietti, whom is expected to return forITas a producer.Andres Muschietticurrently has a number of projects in development. He was at one point set to direct theUntitled Mummy Reboot, which is meant to kick off the studio’s shared monster universe.
