As we get closer to the release of Andy Muschetti's IT remake, there are still a lot of questions that fans of the original Stephen King novel want answered. Well, another question has been answered as of today, as the running time for the long-awaited remake has been locked in. If you're wondering how long half of Pennywise's reign of terror is about to be, go ahead and get prepared for 135 minutes of sheer terror.
News has broken out that IT will be a little over two hours for its first installment, which covers the younger years of The Losers' Club, as they navigate their awkward teenage years in Derry. Oh, and there's also their first legendary battle with Pennywise, an evil that can shift forms and knows the true fear of all he stalks. Obviously, IT is a dense book, so a two hour and 15 minute runtime is not unexpected, even if it seems daunting. However, when taking into account the full package, it's nothing to be afraid of.
With the story of IT being split into two films, if both films were roughly two hours even, they'd form a four hour whole that'd cover the entirety of the Stephen King book. For reference, the 1990 ABC miniseries ran roughly three hours and 12 minutes, without commercials. If you estimate at least an hour's worth of time being added into the modern duo of films, there's plenty of time to add in more of the plot details and set pieces that made IT the literary sensation it became upon its publication in 1986.
Obviously, with fans already worried that The Dark Tower is running at a slim 95 minutes, any sort of running time that doesn't indicate a massive theatrical experience might frighten true Stephen King fans. After all, The Dark Tower is supposed to start a new series of films that compliment a seven-book series, and IT is a 1,138 page behemoth of a book. That said, there are plans in place to continue telling both stories, should they wind up being the success stories the studios (and fans) are hoping for.
One last interesting point to take from the listing from the BBFC is the fact that in the British rating system, IT is rated a 15 -- the second highest rating for a wide release film. The descriptors for the decision were, "strong horror, violence, and language," which is similar to the MPAA descriptors used to give the film an R-rating. No matter the reason, a more faithful adaptation of IT is heading to theaters, and it promises to be a lean, mean, thrilling machine.
IT's first installment will present itself in theaters on September 8th. To check out what else is coming up, take a look at our full movie premiere schedule.
