It (2017 film)
A 2017 adaptation of Stephen King's novel about a child-terrorizing clown.
In 2017, New Line Cinema, KatzSmith Productions, Lin Pictures, and Vertigo Entertainment released *It* (also known onscreen as *It Chapter One*), a supernatural horror film directed by Andy Muschietti. The screenplay was written by Chase Palmer, Cary Joji Fukunaga, and Gary Dauberman. This movie is the first half of a two-part adaptation of Stephen King's 1986 novel, following the 1990 miniseries directed by Tommy Lee Wallace. The cast includes Jaeden Lieberher and Bill Skarsgård. The story takes place in the fictional town of Derry, Maine, where a group of seven outcast children called the Losers' Club is tormented by a creature that emerges from the sewer as Pennywise the Dancing Clown, played by Skarsgård. The monster forces each child to face their own personal fears.
The project began development in March 2009 at Warner Bros., with David Kajganich initially set to direct. Cary Joji Fukunaga replaced him in June 2012, but left in May 2015. Andy Muschietti took over the following month. Muschietti drew inspiration from 1980s films such as *The Howling* (1981), *The Thing* (1982), *The Goonies* (1985), *Stand by Me* (1986), and *Near Dark* (1987), and cited Steven Spielberg as an influence. In May 2014, the film was moved to the New Line Cinema division. Principal photography ran from June 27, 2016, to September 21, 2016, in Toronto and locations across the Greater Toronto Area, including Port Hope, Oshawa, and Riverdale. Benjamin Wallfisch was hired in March 2017 to compose the score.
*It* premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on September 5, 2017, and was released in the United States on September 8 in 2D and IMAX. The film was both a critical and commercial success, breaking box office records and earning over $704 million worldwide. At the time, it was the third-highest-grossing R-rated film, and after subsequent re-releases, its total reached over $719 million. Unadjusted for inflation, it became the highest-grossing horror film ever. Critics generally praised the performances, direction, cinematography, and musical score, calling it one of the best adaptations of Stephen King's work. It received several awards and nominations, including a Critics' Choice Movie Award nomination for Best Sci-Fi/Horror Movie, and appeared on multiple critics' year-end lists. The sequel, *It Chapter Two*, covering the rest of the book, came out in 2019. A
- release_year
- 2017
- director
- Andy Muschietti
- genre
- Supernatural horror
- based_on
- 1986 novel by Stephen King
- box_office
- Over $704 million worldwide (initial release); over $719 million through subsequent re-releases
- rating
- R-rated
Lore & Background
Development began in March 2009 by Warner Bros., with David Kajganich planned to direct, before being replaced by Fukunaga in June 2012. Fukunaga dropped out in May 2015 and was replaced by Muschietti in June. Muschietti drew inspiration from 1980s films including The Howling (1981), The Thing (1982), The Goonies (1985), Stand by Me (1986) and Near Dark (1987), and cited the influence of Steven Spielberg. The film was moved to New Line Cinema division in May 2014. Principal photography began in Toronto on June 27, 2016, and ended on September 21, 2016, on locations in the Greater Toronto Area, including Port Hope, Oshawa, and Riverdale. Benjamin Wallfisch was hired in March 2017 to compose the musical score.
Reader's Guide
It premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, on September 5, 2017, and was released in the United States on September 8, in 2D and IMAX formats. A critical and commercial success, the film set box office records and grossed over $704 million worldwide, becoming the third-highest-grossing R-rated film at the time of its release, and grossed over $719 million through subsequent re-releases. Unadjusted for inflation, it became the highest-grossing horror film of all time. The film received generally positive reviews, with critics praising the performances, direction, cinematography and musical score, and was called one of the best Stephen King adaptations. It received numerous awards and nominations, including a nomination for the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Sci-Fi/Horror Movie. It appeared on several critics' end-of-year lists. The second film, It Chapter Two, was released in 2019, covering the remainder of the book. A prequel television series, It: Welcome to Derry, premiered on HBO in 2025, with Skarsgård returning as Pennywise.
Did You Know?
- Will Poulter was previously cast as Pennywise but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.
- The film was shot in the Greater Toronto Area, including Port Hope, Oshawa, and Riverdale.
- Bill Skarsgård described Pennywise as 'an ancient, trans-dimensional evil' that awakens every 27 years.
- The film grossed over $719 million through subsequent re-releases.
More in Horror films about clowns 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record