‘IT: Chapter Two’ Reportedly Almost Three Hours Long

IT: Chapter Two wrapped filming last fall, with assembly cuts of the film now coming together. Over on Twitter, one user claimed to have attended a test screening of the film, noting that the initial cut was nearly three hours long.

ViewerAnon shared on Twitter, “IT: CHAPTER 2 is almost three hours long. Pretty good but it needs work – the first is better. And that’s all I’m saying lest WB sue me into an early grave.”

The first detail worth pointing out is that, as the name implies, this report comes from a virtually anonymous source. Given how tame this “report” is about the film, we have no reason to believe the user would lie about having seen an early cut of the film, which could help validate this account of the film.

Another important note is that, like every early cut of every movie, initial screenings typically compile all of the best takes of the various scenes placed together in chronological order. Once audiences, and the filmmakers, witness multiple viewings of these assembly cuts, the film starts to get whittled down into a more digestible experience. No matter what the first reported running time might be, we always expect these times to vary from the theatrical release of the film.

Even though we know that IT: Chapter Two won’t land in theaters with a three-hour running time, we won’t be surprised if it is longer than the original, as it features not only sequences featuring the young characters from the first movie, but also the adult versions of those characters. The first IT has a running time of two hours and 15 minutes, so we could likely expect Chapter Two to surpass that length.

The new film stars James McAvoy as Bill, Jessica Chastain as Beverly, Bill Hader as Richie, Isaiah Mustafa as Mike, Andy Bean as Stanley, Jay Ryan as Ben, and James Ransone as Eddie. Bill Skarsgard returns to play Pennywise the Dancing Clown.

Skarsgard previously noted that this changed the dynamic of the production both on and off screen.

“Off camera, I get to hang out with the entire adult cast now. It’s weird and it’s surreal because some of them are really big stars and they’re coming in to your thing,” the actor shared with Collider. “They’re stepping into the thing that me and Andy and the kids did. They’re joining the band, in a way. They’re excited, and I just had a lot of fun hanging out with all of them. It’s going to be a very different shooting experience with all adults, for sure, but it will be fun. They’re all really cool and talented people, so I think they will bring a lot to the table.”

IT: Chapter Two lands in theaters on September 6th.

Are you hoping the new film clocks in close to three hours? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!