‘IT’ Director Taking on New Adaptation of ‘The Time Machine’

Director of IT Andy Muschietti has reportedly been tapped to develop a new incarnation of H.G. Wells‘ sci-fi classic The Time Machine, based on a treatment he wrote with producing partner and sister Barbara. Leonardo DiCaprio will produce along with the Muschietti siblings and Jennifer Davisson.

Deadline describes the source material, “The tale revolves around an inventor who hopes to alter the events of the past and travels 800,000 years into the future, where he finds humankind divided into warring races.”

The story was first adapted into a film in 1960 from director George Pal. In 2002, Guy Pearce starred in a new adaptation, which was directed by Simon Wells.

News of this adaptation comes shortly after the reveal that Muschietti would also be directing a live-action adaptation of the manga and anime series Attack on Titan for Warner Bros. The series depicts a world in which humanity lives in cities surrounded by walls to protect the species from massive, humanoid beasts, referred to as “Titans.” Eren Yeager, the series’ hero, enlists in a military organization tasked with protecting the cities at all costs. The series debuted in 2009 and has sold more than 76 million copies worldwide.

Attack on Titan was adapted into a two-part live-action production in 2015.

Muschietti’s debut feature film was Mama in 2013, with its blend of dramatic storytelling and the supernatural scoring him the gig directing a new incarnation of IT, inspired by Stephen King’s iconic novel. The film went on to gross more than $700 million worldwide, making it one of the biggest hits of 2017.

Fans of the filmmaker luckily won’t have to wait much longer to see his work in these projects, with IT: Chapter Two hitting theaters next year.

The original film depicted the adolescent Losers’ Club coming together in their small town of Derry, Maine to confront a disturbing entity that had targeted their community. As we’ll see in the film’s sequel, they didn’t entirely succeed at conquering the creature, forcing them to reunite 27 years later to wage battle once again.

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

Neither The Time Machine nor Attack on Titan have release dates. IT: Chapter Two hits theaters on September 6, 2019.

Which Muschietti project are you most looking forward to checking out? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!

[H/T Deadline]