"You can make a good movie out of anything, but sometimes you have to rip out its guts to do so."
-Bob Chipman
a.k.a. MovieBob
When writing an adaptation from any other medium, be it a book or a television show, there are many things the writer must consider. Chief among them is how to make the story in question work on the silver screen. Most of the time, when fans of a beloved book series complain about the changes made in the movie, they don't realize that what may work in a novel does not necessarily work in a film. By the same token, an adaptation can be utterly dead-on-arrival if the creative team working on it fails to connect with the material. Case in point: the novel The Godfather is not a very good book, but when adapted to the big screen by Francis Ford Copalla, it becomes one of the greatest gangster films ever made. Also, Bonfire of the Vanities is a dark and twisted social thriller that was made into a terrible and poorly received comedy starring Tom Hanks. The best adaptations are the ones that retain the spirit and themes of the story, preserve essential moments described when able, and make changes when it best serves the new iteration of the established narrative. The best examples would be films like Die Hard and The Shinning. Neither film is entirely like their respective source materials, but they both succeed in delivering entertaining experiences while retaining the very essence of what made their original stories so engaging.
This past September saw the release of IT: Chapter 2. The long-awaited sequel to the highly acclaimed brand new adaptation of Stephen King's horror epic. The first film released in 2017 may not have been a masterpiece, but it was still a well crafted and engaging film in many ways. From its gorgeously haunting atmosphere to its chilling soundtrack, to the charming and talented young cast, and all the way to the powerhouse performance of Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise the Killer Clown. Hitting box-office records and winning over critics and audiences alike, IT paved the way for a new generation of Stephen King classics brought to life on the silver screen. Only for IT: Chapter 2 to send it all crumbling down yet again.
You may recall from my review of IT: Chapter 2 that I found the film to be disappointing and underwhelming. The movie felt repetitive, overstayed its welcome, and failed to earn my sympathy and attention. The biggest problem is that it contrives this strange plot point where most of the original kids (now grown-up) have conveniently forgotten all about their encounter with Pennywise. So rather than have the characters face a new kind of fear from Pennywise, thereby experiencing some new arc, they just go through the exact same ones from the first film. Add to that some lousy special effects, an inexcusable lack of Pennywise and more jumpscares than you can count, and IT: Chapter 2 becomes one of the most boring follow up movies to ever waste your time. Even worse, it didn't need to be that way.
I thought it would be a fun experiment for me to consider how, if presented with the opportunity, I might have written the script for IT: Chapter 2. Obviously, for the sake of keeping this particular blog entry relatively short, I won't be publishing the entire actual text here, just a detailed summary. Also, this is going to require at least two parts.
I should mention a few things before we begin. First, this is not intended to be a means of showing off or proclaiming how much smarter I am than any talented writer working inside or outside of the Hollywood system. This is simply how I personally "would" have written the script and not necessarily how I think it "should" have been. Second, I will be operating under the impression that I am not receiving any creative input or interference from the Studio, the director, or even Stephen King himself. I will give myself full creative freedom to write what I please. Third, I plan to present this idea under the assumption that my readers have read the original book, watched the original mini-series, or seen both IT and IT: Chapter 2. For those of you who have not done any of the things listed, I will provide you with a few links to summaries of both recent films, before I begin my own interpretation so we may all be on the same page. Once you have familiarized yourself with the material, we may start.
Okay, now that you're all caught up, let's dive right in.
IMPORTANT NOTE: To better identify the character, I shall include their names with the actors who played them in IT: Chapter 2. For the record, I would have kept the whole cast for the film as they were all the most substantial part of the film.
Now, there are a few things that must be established: First, the steaks need to be higher. Second, events from the first film must be remembered to avoid repeating them while still building up from them. Third, if it didn't work in the book, then it won't work well on screen. Also, there is one definite bonus that must be adhered to at all costs, and that is, say it with me now, NO GIANT SPIDER! Not only has this element of the story never been scary, but it is also just plain stupid. Not to mention lazy. I don't care if it was in the book because, as I already established, if it didn't work in the book, then it won't work on screen. The Giant Spider has already been attempted twice, and on both occasions, it has utterly failed. I'm sorry to disappoint any fans of the Giant Spider, but it has to go. Period.
The opening scene will take place at the carnival. A gay couple with their adopted son will go about their evening having fun with the rides and games. At one point, the boy will ask to go through the haunted funhouse on his own, insisting that he is a brave boy. Reluctantly, his parents allow him to go, prompting him to move quickly and reassuring him that they will be right there if he decides to back down or if he succeeds in running through the whole thing. They exchange loving words, and the boy enters the funhouse. After going through a few obstacles, the boy reaches the maze of mirrors. Soon after that, he gets a little nervous, as the glass walls seem to be moving in closer and boxing him inside. Suddenly, Pennywise appears right next to the boy on the other side of a pane of glass. The boy screamed so loud and terrified that, despite all other goings-on at the carnival, one of the boy's fathers hears him and runs into the funhouse after him. After making his way to through, he reaches the maze and, after frantically finding his way, reaches his son only to be blocked off by a pane of glass. However, Pennywise is nowhere to be seen. The father tries to comfort his son and says they will find the way out together. That is until Pennywise appears once more and murders the child right in front of his father, gushing blood all over the glass. Terrified, the father stands there starring at the blood-stained glass. Then, Pennywise wipes away some of the blood, revealing his smiling face as he proclaims to the father, "Don't worry. He'll float down there. We all float down there!". Pennywise then proceeds to laugh maniacally as the father runs out of the funhouse.
TITLE SEQUENCE.
The police arrive at the scene, including Detective Mike Hanlon (Isaia Mustafa). Mike interviews the victims offering his condolences. As Mike takes their statements, the father who witnessed the event describes the killer to Mike. Without hesitation, Mike goes deeper into the interview, demanding more details. Afterward, Mike enters the funhouse to investigate the scene. Upon spotting the bloody mess, Mike also discovers writing on one of the mirrors. It reads, "Come Home."
Mike returns home, partially terrified. The day he has dreaded all his life has finally arrived. Mike then sets about calling his friends of The Losers Club one at a time.
In order:
Billy (James McAvoy) has become a successful writer. When we first see him on a movie set, he's arguing with another writer who apparently wrote the first draft of the script they're shooting. The director comes in and informs the original writer that while his selection was good, it wasn't screen-ready, and required the efforts of Billy's talents to make it so. The director then tells the original writer to grow up and stop whining. Shortly afterward, Billy gets a phone call from Mike. The moment he hears Mike's voice, he knows what it means.
Richie (Bill Hader) is a successful stand-up comedian wrapping up his latest act. He has also not yet come out as gay. After leaving stage ending his show, an assistant approaches Richie with an urgent phone call. It's from Mike. It takes Richie a moment to realize what's happening as he's still winding down from his stand-up persona.
Beverly (Jessica Chastain) has a college degree, and now she owns and operates a shelter for victims of abuse. She has also learned martial arts gets a chance to showcase her skill. During a group therapy session, an enraged man bursts into the shelter as one of the assistants in the other room calls the police. Turns out, the man is the husband of one of the victims and demands that she leaves with him immediately. Before the man can even reach his wife, Beverly steps in-between the two of them and orders the man to stop. Without even hesitating, the man tries to swing at Beverly, but she dodges his blow and promptly knocks the man on his ass. The other women in the group huddle around each other as Beverly stands over the downed and confused man. Beverly gives the man a choice: leave now and never come back, or get knocked out and arrested. The man gets back up and, once again, tries to hit Beverly, only to get smacked around a little bit before she delivers a round-house kick to the man's head knocking him out cold. Soon after, the police arrive and place the man under arrest. Not long after that, Beverly's phone rings, and she has a quick chat with Mike until she realizes why he's calling.
Eddie (James Ransone) is making a decent living as a risk assessment analyst. He's not married and has not yet come out as gay. He has gotten better in dealing with his hypochondria but still takes minor precautions. Like carrying around a small bag of hand sanitizer. When we first see him, he's driving down the street in the middle of a phone call with a client discussing his assessment progress. At some point, Mike calls, and Eddie answers. The moment Eddie hears Mike proclaim "IT is back.", Mike ends up in a non-fatal car crash.
Stanley (Andy Bean) has grown up into an influential Rabi. More importantly, in this version of our story, he will not commit suicide. When he gets his phone call from Mike, Stanley will tell his wife that he has to go away for a little while but will be back as soon as he can. After kissing her, Stanley goes into his office, takes down a custom made replica of King David's sword, sharpens it, loads it into his car with his suitcase, and drives off.
Ben (Jay Ryan) has become a successful and wealthy architect and part-time historian. He has also taken it upon himself to lose weight, put on muscle, and learn some Tai Chi. Shortly after Ben receives the call from Mike, Ben goes straight to his attic and retrieves several large boxes, all labeled "Derry." He quickly skims through a few papers and photos, including the one depicting Pennywise amongst the town's founders, as well as a strange-looking Native American Pot.
Now that we have established the new iteration of the characters, we can move on to how the story will unfold. But that will have to wait for Part 2. So tune in again soon for how The Losers Club would have defeated Pennywise if I was at the helm.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading.
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