A nightmarish, trans-dimensional horror.
A group of children turned prey.
And … a missing author?
Why didn’t this literary icon get a say in the film adaptation of his own book?
Keep watching to find out!
With $700 million in worldwide receipts, "It," directed by Argentine filmmaker Andy Muschietti,
is the highest-grossing horror movie of all time.
The coming-of-age supernatural horror film tells the story of the Losers' Club, a group
of seven outcast children living in Derry, Maine, who are terrorized by a killer clown
that emerges from the sewer.
The film, which is based on the novel of the same name by acclaimed horror icon and author
Stephen King, was a massive success at the global box office, despite often drifting
away from its source material.
One would assume that King consulted on the film since his book was the inspiration behind
it.
However, it turns out that Muschietti wanted to bring his vision of Pennywise and the Losers'
Club to new audiences and decided not to ask King for his assistance.
Stephen King's "It" has been previously adapted into a 1990 miniseries starring Tim Curry
as the ancient, trans-dimensional evil entity that preys upon the children of Derry, Maine.
"Kiss me, fat boy!"
Muschietti's movie is the first film adaptation of the novel, and he was the second director
to work on the project.
He only followed the departure of screenwriter David Kajganich and Cary Fukunaga, who were
both associated with the film during its production stage.
Muschietti, a self-proclaimed Stephen King fan, attempted to reach out to the author
while still working on the film but was unsuccessful.
He later shared in a Collider interview that he was proud of his interpretation of the
novel and didn't deem it necessary to discuss his ideas with King.
He described the possibility of sharing it as embarrassing, saying,
"I'm very happy making an adaptation, my interpretation of the story, and I would be thrilled to meet
Stephen King, but there comes a time in the process where you start feeling good with
your interpretation of it, and your contribution to the story, and it doesn't feel like I want
to discuss my ideas with him, you know?
I don't know.
It feels like something that I would be embarrassed to tell him, you know?
'Your words and your moments don't work,' right?"
Following the film's success, Muschietti directed a sequel film that covered the second half
of King's novel — and Stephen King appeared in it for a special cameo, too.
"If you wanna use that kinda language, take it out in the street."
However, it should be noted that King has a long history of being hands-off with adaptations
of his work, either big or small.
The author famously allows young and inexperienced filmmakers to buy the rights to his work for
a single dollar and to adapt it as they see fit.
The only exception was that the finished product had to be made for personal or festival viewing,
not commercial release.
These "Dollar Babies," as they're called, represent the writer using his influence to
give back to the larger artistic community.
Filmmakers can make a Stephen King movie without breaking their savings account — all with
the blessing of King himself, who doesn't interfere after the deal is made.
Muschietti didn't require Stephen King's stamp of approval — but the legendary author loved
the film anyway.
King shared that he wasn't involved in the making of the film at all — and alluded
that he would've loved some "It" merchandise from the studio.
Nevertheless, he approved of the adaptation anyway, telling Variety:
"I wasn't involved at all.
I wished them well [...] Geez, I don't even think they sent me any swag from that one!
But maybe that's a good thing.
I've seen it, it's fabulous."
Not all of King’s adaptations have found the same success in the fans' eyes and the
box office.
Although King was heavily involved in the promotional phase for “The Dark Tower,”
often commending it, the film bombed in the box office and received scathing reviews.
Despite frequently deviating from its source material, "It" is mostly a faithful, modern
interpretation of the novel that eliminates some of its more controversial elements.
It surprised Stephen King fans as an effective and fun adaptation, even capturing the heart
of the original novel in ways the miniseries didn’t.
Maybe, sometimes having a little distance from the original creator is what you need
to make an adaptation sing.
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