We've been focusing a lot on Stephen King's opinion of the IT remake that is currently in theaters across the country and elsewhere. However, because there's been a focus on the book, there have been fewer comparisons to the 1990 miniseries starring Tim Curry. But I think it's safe to say a lot of us are still interested in how he feels about the IT remake. Speaking ahead of the movie's premiere at the Fan Expo Canada, Tim Curry revealed that he is rather excited for the remake of the miniseries he starred in back in 1990. He said,
I like Skarsgard very much. I think he's very clever. It'll be interesting to see what sort of clown face he puts on. Because it's not an obvious clown face, at all. So, I'm fascinated to see it. I hope they make the end better, because on TV I turned into a sort of giant spider. And it was not very scary.
The comment about that giant spider scene is interesting, as is the comment about IT lead Bill Skarsgard, who certainly plays Pennywise very differently than Tim Curry chose to, although Skarsgard's version does have the advantage of the actor being able to manipulate his mouth into a weird smile. In the miniseries, the adult kids eventually head back down into Pennywise's lair to meet the centuries-old monster clown, only to find him turned into a big spider. Talk about campy.
Tim Curry is in luck, at least so far, because the IT movie does not go the way of the spider at the end. Of course, IT only incorporates the kids interacting with IT and not the adults, so I suppose there is always time for a spider in IT 2. Tim Curry has previously said that he was disappointed in the spider scene from the TV miniseries, so that doesn't come as a huge surprise. Regardless, he seems pretty non-plussed about the new project getting made, and even a little bit interested in seeing the new product.
The comments came from Fan Expo Canada (via Bloodbath and Beyond) shortly before the movie's premiere, so it's possible that Tim Curry has made it to see IT at this point in the game. Regardless of what his eventual opinion on the movie ends up being, IT is a success story. The movie has been acclaimed critically, and more importantly for Warner Bros., IT has brought in a lot of money. The movie has only been out for two weekends, and the most recent box office report indicates the flick has made over $218 million domestically and an additional $153 million worldwide. It was made on a $35 million budget, which means it is already making plenty of money, and since director Andy Muschietti has already said he wants to make a sequel, we're assuming that would make money, too.
For now, catch IT in theaters, and be sure to take a look at what we know about the sequel so far.
