The upcoming adaptation of the beloved novel IT, written by the master of horror, Stephen King, has a lot of expectations weighing on it. Sure, the expectations may not amount to that of your average superhero flick these days, but as a classic novel, it has an ardent fan base. Plus, not only does the film have to live up to the spirit of the novel, it will forever be compared to the 1990s miniseries, which starred Tim Curry as the terrifying clown, Pennywise.

Already, there has been criticism of the look of the character by fans as it is, and many are skeptical that it will live up to the aforementioned expectations. But for those who have had doubts that the story would play out as effectively as the original book, rest assured that the film’s director, Andrés Muschietti (Mama) understands the material. First and foremost, a recent USA Today report confirms that this story is planned for two films, with the first coming out this September. That’s a good enough start, but Muschietti also seems to have a strong understanding of one of the book’s core themes, which revolves around the loss of innocence these children face as a result of their monstrous encounters with the terrifying Pennywise.

“It happens in the book, this coming of age and kids facing their own mortality, which is something that in real life happens in a more progressive way and slowed down. There’s a passage [in IT] that reads, ‘Being a kid is learning how to live and being an adult is learning how to die.’ There’s a bit of a metaphor of that and it just happens in a very brutal way, of course.”

Of course, the story can be amazing, but in a horror tale, if the monster doesn’t work, thats kind of a fundamental problem. Plus, one of the big criticisms of the images so far is that there is no denying that this is the villain. In the eyes of some, what makes Pennywise terrifying is that he initially seems harmless to kids, only to turn into their worst nightmares as they get closer. 

While the director didn’t address this idea specifically, there is still the potential for Pennywise to initially appear harmless, only for his behavior to change, for as reported by the outlet, Pennywise’s behavior is extreme and unpredictable.

“It’s established that Pennywise takes the shape of your worst fear. He doesn’t have a steady behavior, he doesn’t expose how he thinks, and that’s what makes him really unpredictable.”

As stated above, the film is planned to have a sequel, and as we’ve indicated in reports in the past, the next movie will follow the same group of characters 30 years later, when Pennywise resurfaces, and they have to face him yet again.

“It’s about remembering things that they have forgot. Getting back in touch with those memories is such an important part of the plot that make you think about what will happen 30 years later when Pennywise comes again.”

The trailer is rumored to hit this coming Wednesday, so let’s hope we get to see small bits of this amazing insight from the filmmaker when it does.

Stephen King’s IT hits theaters on September 8, 2017.

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SOURCES: USA Today