Gary Dauberman, the writer of It: Chapter Two, has discussed the numerous challenges of trying to adapt Stephen King novels.
It: Chapter Two is certainly one of the most anticipated horror films of 2019, thanks to the first entry being so enormously popular with fans. Stephen King is one of the most adapted authors in history but there is no doubt not all adaptations of his work are as successful as It.
What are some of the challenges of bringing King’s work to the big screen? Well, It: Chapter Two writer, Gary Dauberman, discussed some of them in a recent interview with CinemaBlend:
“There’s a lot of challenging things, but it really is an editing process of like…you know you’re not going to get all the f***ing great scenes in there. You know, they always say you have to kill your darlings. But it’s like, [they’re] not. They are my darlings, but I’m such a fan of the books and the scenes, and so it’s a challenge to sort of decide, ‘Okay, well, I really like this, but I love that. Is there a way to get the two ideas in there and maybe put it somewhere else?’ It’s one of those things where I tried to preserve as much as I can of the book, in the spirit of the book, and why it works.
“I mean, there’s books out there that have great concepts, but they’re not executed so well. So you’re like, ‘Well, I like the concept, but I’ll kind of just run with it.’ Or it’s got a good first half, but the second half is not great, so you can depart from it. But these are not those, right? They work so well. There’s a reason they’ve been around as long as they have been. So you’re just working very hard to preserve as much as you can of it and give it the respect it deserves.”
Fans will be hoping that Dauberman finds the right balance once again for It: Chapter Two. It will be interesting to see the reaction for the movie compared to the beloved first installment. Dauberman will be adapting another King novel next with Salem’s Lot.
SEE ALSO: The Flickering Myth Reaction to the It: Chapter Two trailer
Because every 27 years evil revisits the town of Derry, Maine, “It Chapter Two” brings the characters—who’ve long since gone their separate ways—back together as adults, nearly three decades after the events of the first film.
It: Chapter Two will see Bill Skarsgard reprising his role as Pennywise the Dancing Clown, while Jessica Chastain (Beverly), James McAvoy (Bill), Bill Hader (Richie), James Ransone (Eddie), Andy Bean (Stanley), Jay Ryan (Ben) and Isaiah Mustafa (Mike) star as the adult versions of The Losers’ Club. Young It stars Jaeden Lieberher, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Wyatt Oleff, Jack Dylan Grazer and Chosen Jacobs are also set to reprise their roles from the first movie in flashback sequences.
