Since I walked out of the theater during my first viewing of the 2017 remake of IT, I could not wait for a sequel. After a phenomenal cast announced to play as the grown-up Losers’ Club and months of waiting in anticipation, we got our first look into the next terrifying experience with everyone’s childhood nightmare, Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard).
The trailer starts off innocently as Beverly (Jessica Chastain) arrives at her childhood home. The old woman invites her in so she can relive some of the positive memories she had, but things are off with her, and the chills start coming down my spine. The woman’s odd behaviors escalate until Beverly realizes this is a trap and gets attacked. One thing everyone should remember, horror and old people are never a good mix, so stay away from the elderly or clowns.
That drawn-out sequence takes up two minutes of the three-minute teaser, now we get a minute montage of the horrors that await the unlikely heroes. The first clip gives a glimpse at the adults with a pan around that shows them as children. The film will have plenty of flashbacks, so the wonderfully talented kids from the first part will still have some screen time, thankfully.
A meeting between the group happens where everyone comes together for beer and what seems like a planning phase to take out their childhood monster. The details of the room are hard to tell, but we do get a better look at how these kids look now that they have grown-up.
Bill (James McAvoy) has a moment where he is looking down a sewer and sees some hands holding out a boat. Everyone will continue to deal with their trauma in a variety of ways and with him being the central character, I expect plenty of references to the loss of his brother.
Another piece shows that possibly Bill and Bev’s relationship from the first film will get some development. He reassures her about getting through this adventure alive. What strikes me is the choice to show this in the teaser. The other hint at their relationship comes from a kiss that happens towards the end of the trailer. With all that is happening, hopefully, this dynamic can weave itself into the story without taking away from anything since romance can feel forced in many narratives.
The sewer that ended the first battle against Pennywise gets a brief look. Bill, Richie (Bill Hader), and Mike (Isaiah Mustafa) walk down the tunnel. I wonder if the three are investigating something or getting ready to combat the shapeshifting creature.
A lot of confrontations with Pennywise are shown. Richie sees the clown flying by a string of many balloons, someone who could be Bev struggles to survive in a massive amount of water, and an unknown little girl meeting the monster up front. Each scene gets flashed quickly, and all I can feel is this will be far more intense than the previous adventure.
A lot happens in these few minutes, but that is enough to sell me on the upcoming sequel of Stephen King’s classic epic that has frightened people for decades. I have high expectations due to the high quality of the first chapter. If all goes well, this could be my favorite horror film of the year, which says a lot because 2019 has been huge for all things spooky.
IT: Chapter 2 releases Sept. 6
Watch the trailer below and let me know what you think:
Images via Warner Bros. Pictures
Tristan Zelden 