Donald Trump, Stephen King and a US$70m budget: the making of It Chapter Two
- The director, Andy Muschietti, has compared the film’s evil clown Pennywise to the US president
- He talks about the making of the film, Stephen King’s cameo and matching the box office success of the first film
Pennywise, the murderous clown who lurks in sewers and feasts on terrified children, is perhaps the most evil creation to ever emerge from the warped mind of Stephen King.
“He does exactly what the clown does, you know?” director Andy Muschietti says.
“The clown is trying to divide the ‘Losers’ all the time, to turn them against [themselves] and make them weaker,” says the Argentine director, referring to the nickname for the group of preteen misfits who are the heroes of It. “That’s how he conquers, he tries to conquer them and destroy them.”
Drawing parallels between high-concept horror icons and the current White House inhabitant is certain to shock. But beyond the killer clown’s gruesome theatrics, King’s novel is already an exploration of the dark underbelly of small-town America, says Muschietti, tackling sinister yet tragically real themes such as spousal abuse and incest.