It: Chapter 2 is the most highly-anticipated horror movie of 2019. The first It, which was released in 2017, became an instant classic and is currently the highest-grossing horror movie of all-time, taking in over $700 million at the box office. The story begins with seven kids — dubbed the Losers Club — in Derry, Maine, who are terrorized by a horrifying clown named Pennywise. Pennywise, played by Bill Skarsgard, isn’t just any ordinary clown. He is the ultimate villain, exposing everyone’s fears and personal demons for enjoyment.
The It kids are a set of incredible young actors. Jaeden Martell plays Bill Denbrough, Sophia Lillis plays Beverly Marsh, Finn Wolfhard plays Richie Tozier, Jeremy Ray Taylor plays Ben Hanscom, Jack Dylan Grazer plays Eddie Kaspbrak, Chosen Jacobs plays Mike Hanlon, and Wyatt Oleff plays Stanley Uris. The young cast completely embodied their roles and made us root for them every step of the way as they fought off Pennywise in It. Their terrific performances in the first movie made casting the adult versions of their characters that much harder.
It: Chapter 2 picks up 27 years later and the adult cast includes James McAvoy as Bill, Jessica Chastain as Beverly, Bill Hader, as Richie, Jay Ryan as Ben, James Ransone as Eddie, Isaiah Mustafa as Mike, and Andy Bean as Stanley. Getting the casting right was crucial, but It: Chapter 2 exceeds expectations in every way. The older actors look just like what the adult versions of the kids will grow into.
Finn actually knew Bill would be the perfect choice for adult Richie. “So Finn, when they asked him, ‘Who do you want to play you in the sequel?’, because they all grow up, he said he wanted me to,” Bill said on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. “I thought, ‘Oh, that’s sweet, and my agent sent me a little clip of him saying that, and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s nice.'” A few months later, Bill got the call about playing Richie. What a Loser wants, a Loser gets! It: Chapter 2 hits theaters everywhere on Sept. 6.