The most recent IT trailer, which aired during the MTV Movie and TV Awards, took some of the focus off of Pennywise and placed it on the young members of the Losers' Club -- the unofficial band of terrified children who'll somehow find the courage to take this ancient terror down. The clip, in my opinion, perfectly nails the tone of Stephen King's source novel, and does an excellent job of summing up the personalities of beloved characters like the anxious Eddie Kaspbrak (Jack Dylan Grazer) and trashmouth Richie Tozier. (Beep beep, Richie.) But fans of the book also recognized the name on the inside of the sneaker that the Losers found in the sewers beneath Derry: Betty Ripsom.
Betty Ripsom's sneaker is found by the group as they prepare to wade through the piss and shit of Derry's sewer systems because they believe (they know) that IT lives down there. The group is also aware that something terrible has been happening to people in the town of Derry, Maine -- particularly children. Children like Bill Denrough's (Jaeden Lieberher) younger brother, Georgie. Those who read the book know that Betty was killed the day after Christmas, with IT -- in the form of Pennywise -- claiming responsibility. If we see Betty's shoe, will we see her death on screen in this new version of the film, directed by Andres Muschietti? Unlikely, as the IMDB page for IT doesn't have Betty Ripsom listed as a character.
That doesn't mean we won't hear Betty Ripsom, though. Fans of Stephen King's novel also will know that Betty's voice is one of the ones that Losers' Club founder Bev Marsh (Sophia Lillis) hears coming out of her pipes, and we caught a glimpse of the outcome of that terrifying scene in the first IT trailer, which was released earlier. When Bev leans down to listen in the pipes, she hears the voices of IT's victims. A balloon floats out of the sink, and when it pops, it coats her bathroom in blood... a blood that only children like Bev and the Losers can see.
Why is the name Betty Ripsom important? Because it's the latest indication that Andres Muschietti is going to painstaking lengths to get this adaptation of Stephen King's opus correct. During a time where adaptations like The Dark Tower are attempting bold changes in their interpretations, IT seems to be taking the book, which fans adore, and adapting it to the big screen. Novel concept.
Watch that recent clip again. It ends with Betty's lost shoe:
IT will be in theaters on September 8. For more on all of 2017's upcoming movies, click those words.
