The World of IT

Author: Alyse Wax & Andy Muschietti
Publisher: Abrams Books
Publishing year: 2019
Number of pages: 224
ISBN: 978-1419740473

Review:

In 2017, Stephen King fans were happy to see the first of two new movies was released, a remake of IT, one of his creepiest books ever written. Movie adaptations of King’s book haven’t always been the best, some were even atrocious and there were even adaptations that dismissed the origin source material and only took the name… But with IT came a new horror icon and its actor portraying IT, Bill Skarsgård, even trumped Tim Curry’s portrayal in the 1990 mini-series. (Although some might find this debatable… I honestly think Curry did a great job as Pennywise… but Bill really did a better and scarier job here)

In IT we see the story about the children encountering the scary clown, in IT, Chapter Two (that came out in 2019) we see the story told 27 years later, Pennywise has come back and the grownup Losers Club has to fight the scary clown just one more time!

Now this book, The World of IT, offers a unique and very complete perspective on both movies and its background. You kind of read it like it’s an extra feature added to the bluray or dvd of the movie, only it’s in a deluxe hardcover book, filled with pictures (from the movies and behind the scenes) and Alyse Wax added a lot of information about the story, about the actors, about the process of auditioning, how Bill was kept away from the kids to keep their fear genuine when they first encounter him… Also director and producers Andy and Barbara Muschietti and of course, author Stephen King, add some extras to this book as well!

It has always been one of my favourite (if not thé) books of King, it was one of the first ones I read when I was about thirteen years old as well. It scared the hell out of me (still does when I do a reread!) and it has my favourite villain of King’s books in it, Pennywise is the personification of true horror… He can transform himself in whatever you’re afraid of… And the thing is… his true form is something I’m truly really afraid of (those who’ve read the book and seen the adaptations will know what I mean)

I know that a lot of people have issues with the movies, because Muschietti changed quite a lot of the original book for this adaptation (setting instead of the fifties, he updated it to the late eighties for the first movie) and some creatures Pennywise turn into are different from the book… But it adds to the lore of Pennywise… and for those who are as much a fan as I am: in 2025 a tv-series will be released on HBO (Max) called: ‘Welcome to Derry’ and will be a prequel to the movies… And yes, Bill Skarsgård does return as the scary clown!

This book is a must have for the fans of these movies! I even learned some new things I never noticed before! And yes, there’s also a scene portrayed in this book that was different in the movie. So, I guess Alyse Wax had inside information before the second movie was released… only to be changed afterwards… (I am talking about Burning Beverly and her meeting with Ben… in the movie, it’s in the classroom and their school… in the book, they are at the quarry which never happened in any of the movies!)

I have fond memories of these movies… When the second one was released (a few months before covid became a thing) I went to a viewing of both movies back to back… The way they were meant to be watched actually… As Andy Muschietti once said: It, Chapter Two is not a sequel… it’s just the second part of one entire movie! (a bit like Kill Bill, Volume 1 & 2)

I am currently doing a Stephen King Movie Marathon (watching the dvd’s and blurays I own based upon the stories and books of King… but I think I might do a rewatch of these movies earlier than scheduled… so there will be a review for both movies on this blog when I do!)

Finally, for those who love to listen to movie soundtracks… let me say that Benjamin Wallfisch did a very good job making the movie even eerier and scarier by adding a score that has children singing, violins crying and sweeping tunes that add to the horror of both movies!

Hereafter come some pictures from the book and the movies…