• Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket

It director Andy Muschietti on the film’s R rating

July 16, 2017 by Gary Collinson

Fans of Stephen King’s classic horror novel It surely breathed a collective sigh of relief when it was confirmed that director Andy Muschietti (Mama) had been given the go ahead by New Line Cinema to deliver an R-rated adaptation, and speaking to Mad Movies (via Bloody-Disgusting), the filmmaker has discussed how this meant he didn’t have to water down his original vision for the movie.

“This is an R rated movie. I’m very happy about that, because it allows us to go into very adult themes,” said Muschietti. “Each ‘loser’ knows a situation of despair, on top of the terror of It and the fear of heights. Beverly’s case is of course the worst, because it’s about sexual abuse on a minor. But each kid is neglected one way or the other. Bill is like a ghost in his own home: nobody sees him because his parents can’t get over Georgie’s death. Of course, Ben is bullied at school. We don’t know much about Richie’s personality, because he’s the big mouth of the group. But we suppose he’s also neglected at home, and he’s the clown of the band because he needs attention. Long story short, there’s all sorts of difficult situations, and we had the chance to tell them in a movie that faces directly those conflicts. In particular, the families of the young actors were very open-minded, so we could tell the about subjects that are normally very touchy.”

“From our very first discussion with the people from New Line, it was understood that the movie was gonna be rated R,” he continued. “Of course it was already crazy that they started a story revolving around the death of children. But if you aimed for a PG-13 movie, you had nothing at the end. So we were very lucky that the producers didn’t try to stop us. In fact it’s more our own moral compass that sometimes showed us that some things lead us in places where we didn’t want to go.”

SEE ALSO: New images and concept art from Stephen King adaptation It

When children begin to disappear in the town of Derry, Maine, a group of young kids are faced with their biggest fears when they square off against an evil clown named Pennywise, whose history of murder and violence dates back for centuries.

It is set for release on September 8th, 2017, with Andy Muschietti directing Bill Skarsgard (Hemlock Grove) as Pennywise alongside Jaeden Lieberher (St. Vincent), Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things), Jack Dylan Grazer (Tales of Halloween), Wyatt Oleff (Guardians of the Galaxy), Chosen Jacobs (Cops and Robbers), Jeremy Ray Taylor (Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip), Owen Teague (Bloodline), Sophia Lillis (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) and Nicholas Hamilton (Captain Fantastic).

Originally published July 16, 2017. Updated November 30, 2022.

Filed Under: Gary Collinson, Movies, News Tagged With: Andy Muschietti, It, Stephen King

About Gary Collinson

Gary Collinson is a film, TV and digital content producer and writer, who is the founder of the pop culture website Flickering Myth and producer of the gothic horror feature film 'The Baby in the Basket' and the upcoming suspense thriller 'Death Among the Pines'.

FMTV – Watch Our Latest Video Here

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

10 Great Modern Horror Classics You Have To See

Cannon Films and the Search for Critical Acclaim

Movies That Actually Really Need A Remake!

10 Alien Franchise Rip-Offs That Are Worth A Watch

Ranking Video Game Movie Sequels From Worst to Best

Asian Shock Horror Movies You Have To See

10 Great Slow-Burn Horror Movies To Fill You With Dread

The Essential 1990s Superhero Movies

10 Essential Home Invasion Horror Movies

Out for Vengeance: Ten Essential Revenge Movies

WATCH OUR MOVIE NOW FOR FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

Top Stories:

2025 BFI London Film Festival Review – No Other Choice

Movie Review – Frankenstein (2025)

Slow Horses Season 5 Episode 4 Review – ‘Missiles’

Movie Review – Good Fortune (2025)

Movie Review – Black Phone 2 (2025)

Comic Book Review – Star Trek: Picard Omnibus

Movie Review – Ballad of a Small Player (2025)

10 Must-See Horror Movies Guaranteed to Make You Squirm

Movie Review – Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein (2025)

The Top 10 Star Trek: The Next Generation Episodes

STREAM FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

FEATURED POSTS:

Feel the Heat: Uncomfortably Hot and Sweaty Films

Forgotten Horror Movie Gems From 25 Years Ago

10 Great Cult B-Movies of the VHS Era

The Best Eiza González Movies

Our Partners

  • Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

© Flickering Myth Limited. All rights reserved. The reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication of the content without permission is strictly prohibited. Movie titles, images, etc. are registered trademarks / copyright their respective rights holders. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If you can read this, you don't need glasses.


 

Flickering MythLogo Header Menu
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles and Opinions
  • Write for Flickering Myth
  • About Flickering Myth
  • The Baby in the Basket