Never count your chickens before they hatch. That used to be the philosophy in Hollywood. Tinsel Town is littered with the bodies of films that were produced to kickstart franchises, only to flop at the box office.

Nowadays, however, we have studio after studio declaring “shared universe” before a first film has even hit (I’m looking at you, Universal). However, with smaller studios like New Line, they’re playing things much more carefully.

This weekend will see the release of the IT, the adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same name. However, unlike the novel, it only covers half of the story. Rather then span 30 years or so, showing the characters as both kids and adults, they opted to only show our leads as kids in this new adaptation. Should it do well for them, they’d then go forward with s sequel that covers them as adults.

For months, the buzz surrounding IT has been positive. Early online reactions a few weeks back were positive, and reviews so far (including my own) have also been positive.

RELATED: IT Review: A Funny, Heartwarming, Disturbing, yet Rewarding Adaptation Of Stephen King’s Iconic Novel

Director Andy Muschietti has also stated their intention to move forward with the sequel, but still acknowledged that it would depend on the performance.

New Line still seems to be taking things slowly, but in light of the overwhelmingly positive reception from critics — It’s currently at 88 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 119 reviews — they seem to gaining a bit more confidence.

According to THR, Gary Dauberman, one of IT’s screenwriters, has signed on to pen the sequel, and Muschietti is still waiting in the wings to return.

From the sound of it, most of the creative team is expecting to return, but for fear of counting their chickens before they hatch, New Line seems to be waiting to see the initial box office receipts before pulling the trigger.

IT: Chapter Two will take place 27 years after the first film, and the outlet’s sources indicate that while it’ll take place around present day, it will likely utilize flashbacks that could mean the return of the main child cast in some capacity.

All in all, this is a smart move from New Line. Too often do studios jump the gun nowadays, and seeing them make sure the film is a guaranteed success before moving forward is a welcome change of pace. That being said, it sounds like they already have a lot of pieces ready to start moving as soon as they give it the official greenlight.

Per Muschietti’s previous comments last March, we’re likely to see some momentum for this film really soon, with a script locked down by January and preproduction to begin in March. That being said, until New Line gives them the okay, it’s all still conjecture.

Do you plan on seeing IT in theaters? Let us know your thoughts down below!

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SOURCE: THR, Variety