SPOILER WARNING: the following article contains major spoilers for It, in theaters now.


Judging by the box office totals, theaters were packed last weekend with people watching the Losers Club take on Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the newest Stephen King adaptation, It. If you saw the film, you know how it ends -- or actually, how it doesn’t end. After the Losers Club overcomes their fears and seemingly defeat Pennywise, they make a pact. They all say that no matter what, if “It” returns, they will come back to defeat him once more.

RELATED: It: All The Differences Between Stephen King’s Book & Film

As the film ends, the true title of the film is revealed – It: Chapter 1. That title clearly indicates that a sequel is not only coming, but has been in the works the whole time. So, what's going to happen in It: Chapter 2?

27 Years Later...

As stated in the film, evidence exists that Pennywise only comes out once every 27 years, for approximately a year at a time. During that time, he preys on the children of Derry, Maine, and after he’s had his fill of fresh meat, he goes back into a state of hibernation. It stands to reason, then, that the next film in the franchise, It: Chapter 2, will take place after a 27 year gap.

This idea is backed up, not only by the 1990 It miniseries, but also the famed King novel. While the book doesn’t break the Losers Club’s story into two clear parts, opting instead to alternate between past and present throughout the narrative, the miniseries was split between two feature-length movies. The first film took place in the Losers Club’s past, and the second told their story as adults. It's also important to note that in Chapter 1, after Bev is abducted and rescued, she mentions how she saw visions of the Losers Club coming back to Derry as adults.

losers' club from it

So, how is everyone doing after almost three decades? As seen in both the TV miniseries and the novel, the Losers Club isn't nearly as close with each other as they used to be. Having blocked most of the traumatic encounter with Pennywise out their mind, they've have all gone their separate ways. Now in their late 30s, almost all of them have left Derry and created fairly successful lives for themselves, elsewhere.

This is where the differences between the novel and the new film are going to affect the story the most. In the novel, Mike Hanlon was the historian who traced Pennywise’s actions and understood what was happening. 27 years later, after surviving his first encounter with It, Mike is still in Derry as the town librarian. After noticing the return of Pennywise, he contacts the remaining Losers and reminds them of their pact to come back. As seen in Chapter 1, Mike doesn’t serve that same purpose in the story. So does that mean that Mike won’t be the librarian in the sequel?

The rest of the Losers, of course, made it out of Derry. Bev Marsh is now a fashion designer in Chicago; Eddie Kaspbrak is a business owner in New York City; Richie Tozier is a DJ in Los Angeles; Stan Uris is an accountant in Atlanta. The groups defacto leader, Bill Denbrough, is a horror writer (We see what you did there, Mr. King!) living in England. And Ben, everyone’s favorite chubby poet, has lost weight and become a successful architect in Nebraska. Not bad for a group of outcasts and misfits, right?

The downfall of the 1990 miniseries, in most people’s eyes, is the second part, starring the adult Losers. Having forgotten their original encounter with the evil clown, most of the second chapter follows the adults as they begin to remember Pennywise through a few encounters with the shapeshifter. Frankly, it’s boring, and doesn’t have the same excitement of seeing kids interacting with an evil clown. The book also features the spouses of the Losers, and these new characters interact with Pennywise, acting as villains and victims. The spouses further complicate the plot and will hopefully be left out of the theatrical sequel. As seen in Chapter 1, the filmmakers have no problem diverging from the source material for the sake of a good film, so let's pray they make the right choice here.

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What Should We Expect From the Adult Losers Vs. Pennywise?

Considering the huge success of Chapter 1, it's not surprising that people are clamoring for any news they can get about what to expect in the eventual sequel. Luckily, director Andy Muschietti and his producing partner/sister Barbara have been fairly forthcoming in their ideas for the as-yet-unwritten film.

If you’re a fan, as many are, of the younger Losers, don’t fret – they’re coming back. “On the second movie, that dialogue between timelines will be more present,” Andy Muschietti said, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “If we’re telling the story of adults, we are going to have flashbacks that take us back to the ‘80s and inform the story in the present day.”

it movie

Another tidbit of information from the director clears up a little of the confusion about Mike Hanlon. As stated earlier, Movie Mike and Book Mike are very different, characters. However, the director is hoping to marry the versions in the upcoming sequel. “My idea of Mike in the second movie is quite darker from the book,” the filmmaker said. “I want to make his character the one pivotal character who brings them all together, but staying in Derry took a toll with him. I want him to be a junkie actually. A librarian junkie. When the second movie starts, he’s a wreck.

“He’s not just the collector of knowledge of what Pennywise has been doing in Derry," he continued. "He will bear the role of trying to figure out how to defeat him. The only way he can do that is to take drugs and alter his mind.”

That last quote leads to something that many book fans have been curious about; namely, how is this sequel going to explain Pennywise’s origin? For those that don’t know, and didn’t take the time out to read the 1,000-plus novel or watch the horrible second part to the miniseries, Pennywise is an alien. More specifically, he’s from another dimension. Without melting your brain with crazy details, suffice to say, Pennywise’s origin is weird, convoluted and not easy to film. As indicated in the above quote, the director is going to use Mike Hanlon’s drug abuse to help explain the villain's origin, by having him “alter his mind” and discover the true origins of the evil clown.

The other major confirmation about the sequel involves a Loser who doesn’t make it back to Derry.

SERIOUS SPOILERS AHEAD

As many fans of the novel and TV miniseries know, Stan doesn’t make it to the Losers Club reunion. Instead, upon hearing about Pennywise’s return, Stan slits his wrist and writes “It” in blood on his bathroom wall. “There is something in the future for him, taking his own life, that finds its seed in this film,” Andy Muschietti said. “He is the one who doesn’t want to accept what’s going on. And being the one who didn’t want to participate he gets the worst part.”

While we have a clear sense of what story Andy Muschietti wants to tell in Chapter 2, we don’t actually know who will show up on screen. The adult Losers Club has yet to be cast, but there have been some potential names thrown around. As Muschietti is responsible for 2013’s Mama, Jessica Chastain has been speculated as an adult Bev. Another actress with “January embers” that could potentially play Bev is Amy Adams, whose name has been brought up since young Bev actress Sophia Lillis actually portrays a younger version of Amy Adams’ character in the HBO series Sharp Objects.

One thing is for sure, Pennywise is returning. Actor Bill Skarsgård, who does an incredible job as the Dancing Clown, has been locked down for Chapter 2. The only real question is what forms the shapeshifter will take after 30 years. If “Chapter 1” is any indication, the Losers Club will have one hell of a fight.