So What’s the Scene That Stephen King Added to IT Chapter Two?
It's also going to emotionally destroy me.
The countdown is on for IT Chapter Two, one of the most highly-anticipated horror films of the year. 2017’s IT broke box office records—the highest-grossing R-rated horror film of all time and the fourth-highest-grossing R-rated film period—and made Pennywise the Dancing Clown into even more of a cultural icon. The sequel is set to scare audiences all over again in September, and from the looks of both the trailers and the latest behind-the-scenes featurette, it’s going to be a wild ride.
And in an exciting turn of events, there’s news that Stephen King himself, the author of the source material, has added an all-new scene to the movie.
The video is interspersed with interviews from the cast and crew, and most notably, Stephen King himself. King, who wasn’t involved with the first IT film, gave notes on the sequel script and even added in an all-new scene that wasn’t featured in either the novel or the 1990 miniseries. Could it be the bloody scene with Bev that Jessica Chastain teased would be “Carrie on steroids”? Could it be a new way to destroy Pennywise once and for all?
The scene is probably a scare, but personally, I hope it’s a more emotional or character-driven sequence. What makes IT work so well is the emphasis placed on the Losers Club, their growth, and their friendships. There is some serious emotional weight there that the actors, both kids and adults, are more than able to rise to the occasion to do some heavy lifting. The scene of the Losers at the quarry as adults seems new—that could be a King addition to tie it all together. It could also give certain Losers more to do so that their actions have more emotional weight.
While we ponder the addition to that future film, let’s also chat about the rereleased version of the original, which played at select theaters on Saturday and will play at select theaters again on Tuesday. The film itself is exactly the same as the original release, but if you wait through the credits, they play a scene from IT Chapter Two that starts off emotional, and then quickly gets scary.
**Spoilers for IT Chapter Two to follow.**
The scene is the reunion of the adult Losers Club at a Chinese restaurant in Derry. We see a callback to Ben and Bev’s first meeting as they reunite. Richie and Eddie quickly fall into their usual banter. It’s all very sweet, until Mike brings up the reason he called them all back to Derry, and they notice that Stan is not with them. Then come the fortune cookies, some of which spell out a horrifying question, and one of which seems to come to life, which is where the scene ends and cuts to the main trailer.
First off, the cast is absolutely perfect. I don’t think anyone had many doubts about Chastain, James McAvoy, or Bill Hader, but James Ransone, Isaiah Mustafa, and Jay Ryan are equally perfect. They capture the mannerisms of their kid counterparts perfectly. The scenes of them all just hanging out at the table, reconnecting, is absolutely delightful, and you can feel the chemistry the cast has with each other.
The slow buildup to the terror of Pennywise’s question lurking in their fortune cookies, and the surprise of the cookie come to life, showcase an excellent tension, as well. There are no jump scares in this scene, just the terrifying realization that, no, Pennywise wasn’t a figment of their childish imaginations, and something evil has returned to Derry. The way Mike describes Pennywise as being an echo seems unique to the film, and I wonder if that points to King’s new scene. Could there be a new explanation for Pennywise’s existence?
The scene is short but delightful, but more importantly, the scene might come earlier on in the film if they’re willing to show such an important moment. That leaves us with about two hours and forty minutes unaccounted for, which will undoubtably be full of surprises and probably more than a few emotional beats.
IT Chapter Two floats into theaters on September 6.
(image: Warner Bros.)
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