‘IT’ Sequel Snags Fall 2019 Release Date

After Stephen King‘s IT has become the highest grossing horror film of all time, Warner Bros. has finally announced that the implied sequel will be moving forward with a September 6, 2019 release date, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Director Andy Muschietti has yet to officially sign on to the project, but the plan from this film’s inception has been to divide the story into a two-part series. One of the first film’s screenwriters, Gary Dauberman, has signed a deal to pen the second installment. Producers Barbara Muschietti, Roy Lee, Dan Lin, Seth Grahame-Smith and David Katzenberg are all expected to return.

The original King novel is over 1,100 pages, telling the story of a monstrous entity that plagues the small town of Derry, ME. Initially, a group of kids bands together, dubbing themselves “The Losers’ Club,” to vanquish “It” once and for all. The group reunites 27 years later when they realize their efforts didn’t have a lasting impact on the monster, forcing the Losers’ Club to dredge up painful memories from their past.

The novel jumps back and forth between timelines, utilizing flashbacks to explain the group’s experiences as kids while the story unravels in the “present.” A 1990 miniseries adaptation of the story went the same route, utilizing the three-hour running time to explore the characters as adults and kids.

Despite the intention always being a two-part event, Warner Bros. was seemingly apprehensive about solidifying plans for the sequel.

Earlier this summer, another Stephen King adaptation, The Dark Tower, hit theaters and was met with disappointment from fans and critics. This film was meant as a jumping off point for a series of successful films and a TV series, with the disappointing reception putting those projects in jeopardy.

Heading into IT‘s release, the film was anticipated to pull in nearly $50 million in its opening weekend, only for that number to be shattered with an ultimate $123 million opening weekend.

After only two weeks of its release, the film has ousted The Exorcist as the highest grossing horror film of all time, without being adjusted for inflation.

IT is in theaters now.