The Sci-Fi Channel To Remake Stephen King’s “It”

Posted by on June 7th, 2006   Filed under: Movies, TV

There was a good discussion on G4TV’s Attack of the Show this week about horror movie remakes and when (if ever) they are appropriate. Writer/director Tim Sullivan (2001 Maniacs) brought up the point that you can’t generalize that remakes are always bad, because in some cases they are an improvement, and some movies deserve to be updated and brought to new audiences. This is true, but surely there’s no way to justify another TV mini-series of Stephen King’s It, is there? According to Moviehole, The Sci-Fi Channel will be doing exactly that, with Peter Filardi (Salem’s Lot) writing the script (and possibly directing?). It will be a 4 hour broadcast event. Filardi says that this new version of It will be “another cool, more interesting exploration of friendship and time and how we all kind of grow up despite our best efforts not to”. Eh?

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  • Nora

    I just finished it 2 weeks ago. it was my favorite book i have EVER read. It was also my favorite SK book ive ever read.
    I watched this movie for the first time when i was 5 years old, ahha:) and i couldnt go to the bathroom alone till i was 7. I just started watching the movie again about a year ago, and i loved it. I think when people say they hate the movie, they arent thinking about how harddd that book is to make into a movie, and i believe they made a good effort. AND the hating on the cast is so dumb. All those adualts did pretty good and yes, the kids could have been more scrubbed down, but for kids they did amazing.
    This whole thing about it being made into a movie is SOOOOO cool. I am soo excited and if it doesnt go through a will cry for days. I think it is extremely intersting on how there doing it in bevs point of view. She in my opinion, was my favorite person to read about.. so yeah im deff pro movie:)!
    PLEASEEEEE fill me in if you know if this is really going to happen and when it is going to happen.

    PS. idk about how it all went down in 1958, but in SK’s book, he made them seem much much older than 11 year olds…. and in the movie the kids looked way more like 13 year olds.

  • Vincent

    Hi, can you please tell me when this starts or where its filming or ANY information at all? I would like to audtion with my acting agent but unfortunately we don’t have enough info. Email me at Vince_yourbuddy@hotmail.com

    Thanks.

  • Vincent

    *vince_yourbuddy@hotmail.com (no capital “V”)

  • Sterling

    I was once excited when I first heard about this, but now I’m beginning to think it is just some bullshit posted by some over-obsessed Stephen King stalking mother fucker. Does anyone else agree?

  • Randall

    Everybody keeps saying that they want Tim Curry to return as “IT” But that would be a bit inaccurate as if you remember “It” was a female. I think it would need to have several characters to play “IT”. And are we forgetting the turtle?

  • Hotelier

    I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that “Stephen King’s It” is probably the scariest horror story made into film. I mean, how many people say stuff like, I was scared of this or that for years of other movies like they do of the shower scene from “It” or sewers etc. I think it deserves credit. By the way, this many posts pretty much proves that there is an interest in a remake. My main concern is that the wrong people will pick it up, make a bad movie and then throw the story all the way to the back of the line again for another 30 years……I mean 15.

  • Ryan

    KEEP TIM CURRY

  • tom

    What is with the criticism of the child actors in the 1990 version? They drastically outperformed their adult counterparts, especially Jonathan Brandis and Seth Green. The talk of the adult casting as ‘flawless’ is quite frankly laughable, as it was their weak performances that predominantly held the 1990 version back. Lessons to be learned methinks.

  • johnny

    Hey yes we all want Tim Curry, but it doesn’t hurt to want is it? Yeah he probably wont reprise his role but it would still be cool. And As of IT being a female I like him as a male because Bob Gray. Also I wouldn’t leave it up to Sci-fi to make a good movie I mean look at The Anaconda series. I watch #3 and it was just a corny storyline, and bad CGI. Thats what Sci-Fi does makes bad movies so I’m not going to be waiting for this TV movie. Why not just make a 3 hour movie like lord of the rings you get almost the whole story in there. I just don’t want a beautiful story like IT ruined by people who think their movies are good.

  • Hotelier

    “It” would be a good idea for a movie. King has a deeper outlook on storytelling than most writers have. He has good themes, too. I like how “It” takes place in the past and its funny to see people portraying those aspects of early and mid 20th century American life. I’m lazy now and I don’t want to read the book, being as long as it is. I am sure it is a great book, but I think I am done with fiction for now. Hopefully, they will make a good 3-4 hour movie with the proper rating. Hopefully, they will be accurate and loyal to the book……..hopefully……….I wouldn’t hold my breath, though.

  • Sterling

    So I guess this shit is finally over!!!

  • ERiC

    This is a story that is a great among greats. Since its already been done, it wouldn’t be on the top of many directors’ lists. King has a lot of movies, a recent one is the mist and one that might be out sooner or later is cell. I think It should be redone, but I don’t know how likely that would be. Lots of people hate remakes, but I think this story is well worth a remake. Computer technology and everything is way better now than it was in the early nineties and the original was made for tv, so you know there is huge room for growth.

  • Good Idea

    I have to say that this is one of the only truly scary movies I have ever seen. That alone should justify a remake; and if they mess it up, another remake, until they get it right. And that one will live on forever, because it is a classic. People these days don’t know what horror is. “Horror Films” come out it packages of ten and we would be lucky to consider one of them scary and quality at the same time. I for one think that a smart producer/director team could make it rich doing this one right. After It, everybody will be watching comedies to take their minds off it. 3 hours-no holds barred, execpt the stuff NOBODY really wants to see and I know there is some. Bring in the actual background with the turtle/spider combo. Have taste but realize King’s vision. Straight to dvd? Not a bad idea, but I could definately see people turning up in droves to see it in theatres. Even showtime or HBO could pick it up and do it right. I watched Canivale and it was good-HBO series. a four part HBO thing could work. I guess my question is Why hasn’t somebody done it yet??? I dunoo……good story, though.

  • Eric

    I can’t believe that so many people would be opposed to a remake of this movie. Old movies like this should be remade, I think, especially ones that are not accurate to the novel like the tv series. No turtle, no bird, no development of the minor characters, no storm, etc etc etc, no club burning down…..You gotta be accurate. I never read the novel, but from what I can gather from wikipedia there is a lot missing, enough even to make the movie seem like a different story all together. The tv series killed characters in different ways, the main characters lives weren’t accurate. Remake this and make it good.

  • Timmy

    hey pennywise was so funny ,, Tim Curry should play pennywise if their making a remake but make Tim a little scareier..

  • Samuel

    So this was posted almost 3 yrs ago… is there any update?

  • TFelland

    I am glad that there is a remake. the loss of a few of the actors sucks to think about. But really the mini series that cam out a while ago didn’t do much for justice for the book. I too had dreams of wanting to remake that book. Esp. when it came to the turn overs and cut aways of the adults into the children the book it self was written around. as well as the side stories.

  • Sterling

    Nobody should get their hopes up about this because there is no solid proof upon which to base it.

  • yehh hopefully this movie will be realistic. first off, the spider at the end looked like a puppet or made of clay, and second off, every time It killed someone it would just black out. Third off, the original movie didnt follow the book so much. Like when they are in the sewers as kids and belch and the other dude die from he spider, they are supposed to die from frankenstien. And finally the adults should look more like kids. Bill as an adult looked nothing like Bill as a kid. They had different hair colours, and he had a stupid pony tail

  • Tyler

    If they do remake it, and i hope they do Tim Curry and Richard Thomas should deffinetly be in it. I myself liked the original and a huge fan of Stephen King.

  • boobleye witterny

    i hope this time they make it more like the book!

  • boobleye witterny

    I agree with Avery, the sprider from far away looks like something you would see in a Tim Burton stop motion movie.

  • Justin

    Let us know when “It”comes out!!!!!

  • romeo

    where can i adition for the movie is i free

  • mark king

    We want to see the turtle in that remake, it’s such a mystical creature

  • stick

    who would play the clown tim curry’s performance could not be duplicated, but i would like to see it done when is this movie coming out im pumped for sure

  • AeonAnima

    WOOHOO
    Ive loved It always have, but ill tell ya tim curry did a damn good job, first time i saw it scared me shitless, but i love watching it now so there are a couple things i would like them to do if they are redoing the movie
    1. better acting with the kids i mean bill needed to stutter a bit more
    2. make those bullies, you know scarier not like the old ones their acting was H O R R I B L E
    and finally
    3. MORE BLOOD and no damn spider at the end that was a total let down

    now the best parts were definitely the bloody sink, the bloody picture and all parts with Tim curry

  • Ross12345

    I think they need to do a remake, but not another mini series. If they were to do a mini series send it over to a movie channel like HBO or Showtime. This story is creepy. When I read It I get chills up my back. If they made a straight up movie, it would be everybit of 4hrs long. Wouldn’t bother me at all. The first cut left a lot, I think important, material out. They didn’t convey, or did very little, any relationships the characters had not only with themselves but with other characters in the story. I think the opening of the book where the gay kid is killed is important is setting the tone of story. They need this in the remake. It needs to be a 4hr horror epic of violence, terror, some sex, and unfinished business. Eddie Cochran had his head ripped off in the book and Mike found what appeared to be him but left the park. That example from the book was so creepy the way park was set up in my mind and that feeling like you know It is around about to strike but doesn’t. So remake it and do it right.

  • Vincent

    I would have to say that I read the book when I was very young. I just watched the 1958 movie as a 47 year old and it left out too much. I would like to see a 3 hour movie (4 hours is just too long) with all the scenes from the book using modern computer graphics. I think it would give this generation a real appreciation for what real horror is! Horror this day is confused with gore . SK IT not remake but first time ever real to SK intent and down home regular persons bravery in the face of living in Hell and not earth for eternity.

  • Rachael

    I don’t like the ideal unless Tim curry is going to be playing pennywise again because he is the only actor in my opinion that can get the role done right

  • Mike

    yea..
    so this news is clearly old and inaccurate..

    ” IT ” Is in fact being remade, but not for TV. It will be a feature film released in theaters. written by Dave Kajganich.
    Also.. They are definitely making this movie rated ” R ” they don’t even want to try for a pg-13 rating. So expect to see a good amount of blood and gore.

  • Brandi

    I’m horrified! not so much about the notion of a remake, but that its a sci-fi remake. i actually like the idea of redoing this movie. as it turns out, i’ve been pleasantly surprised by many resent remakes, and i think alot of cool stuff could be done to revamp “IT”. However, i can’t think of a single sci-fi channel original movie i have been able to sit all the way through. “IT” is a horror classic and deserves better!

  • Fer

    I think it’s a great ideal hopefully Tim Curry will play Pennywise again.

  • shawn

    needs to be more like the book but to do that needs to be longer like 10 to 12 hour longer do the hole store

  • Allen

    Hi if anybody knows when auditions are for this movie it would be alooooooot of help so if you happen to know when please please tell me, THANKS:)

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