'IT: Chapter 2' To Reportedly Start Filming This Summer

Last year's adaptation of Stephen King's IT became one of the biggest successes of the year, going on to earn more than $700 million worldwide. The follow-up film will be landing in theaters on September 6, 2019, with OmegaUnderground reporting that the film will begin shooting this summer.

In King's nearly 1,200-page novel, a group of children is tormented by an otherworldly threat lurking the town of Derry, Maine. The kids confront the threat, thinking they've solved all their problems, only for those problems to surface again 27 years later.

Both the novel and 1990 mini-series featured jumps in time, with fans discovering events in the past as the adult storyline would unravel. Director Andy Muschietti instead chose to focus solely on the kids with this first film, as audiences would grow far more attached to those friendships and care about their fate in the future.

One of the biggest questions about the upcoming sequel is which actors will portray the adult versions of these characters, with no official casting announcements having been made.

When predicting which actors will embrace the roles, one of the names most often thrown out is Jessica Chastain to play Beverly, given how much Sophia Lillis resembles her and Chastain having previously worked with Muschietti on Mama.

"Well, I love [director] Andy and [producer] Barbara [Muschietti]," Chastain told ScreenRant last year. "I worked with them on Andy's directorial debut, you know, his film, Mama. His first film. And you know, Barbara is one of my best friends so…"

Given so many fans assuming Chastain will portray the character, it's tough to determine whether she's playing coy about her involvement or if she potentially isn't as interested in joining the film as fans are.

"Listen, of course, I want to work… they're my friends. They're like my family," Chastain added. "Anything that they're doing I want to be a part of, so I hope we can make it happen."

The young cast is expected to be involved in the sequel, as Muschietti has claimed that the follow-up film will focus mostly on the adults, yet feature flashbacks to formative events for the younger characters.

Bill Skarsgard will also be returning to the series to portray Pennywise the Dancing Clown.

The IT sequel will land in theaters on September 6, 2019.

[H/T OmegaUnderground]