Seven young outcasts in Derry, Maine, face their worst nightmare — an ancient, shape-shifting evil that emerges from the sewer every 27 years to prey on the town’s children. Banding together over the course of one horrifying summer, the friends must overcome their own personal fears to battle the murderous, bloodthirsty clown known as Pennywise.
Photo: Warner Bros
The orginial script written by Cary Fukunaga and Chase Palmer’s for the Stephen King adaptation is so much darker than what made it to the big screen. Here are 8 major differences between the oringinal script and the final cut.
1. Name Changes & Character Traits
For unknown reasons the orginal script changed some of the names from the oringal Stephen King novel. Bill became Will and Henry Bowers became Travis Bowers. No other names were changed, but one essentail character trait was different. Bill didn’t have a stutter. It’s not exactly essential to the plot, but it’s one of his most defining characteristics.
2. More Parents
In the orignial script, Beverly’s mom is alive and well, but she doesn’t play a vital role in the movie. Will’s mom is also around, broken and withdrawn following the death of her youngest son, George. And, perhaps most importantly, Mike has two living parents. As in the novel, Mike’s father tells his son about his own encounter with Pennywise, making him the only adult to comprehend what’s really going on in Derry.
3. Homophobia galore
To keep it real with the novel, the oringal script was riddled with homophobia. IT feeds on the hatred and infects the citizens of the town so that they act on it. It’s not just the racism directed at Mike and his family, but also violent homophobia. The novel depicts a brutal hate crime in which Adrian Mellon, a gay man, is beaten nearly to death by a group of teens; Pennywise arrives to finish him off.
