IT: Chapter Two's ending has a major difference to the original book ending

10 September 2019, 16:58

Stephen King requested that one detail from the book was included but director Andy Muschietti decided against it.

Much like 2017's IT, the follow up IT: Chapter Two contains several differences from the original Stephen King novel of the same name.

The film contains both big and small changes from the original source material. In the book, a few of the Losers' have different jobs to the ones they have on screen, Beverly's abusive husband Tom also features much more prominently and, while the film addresses it head on, [SPOILER]'s sexuality is only hinted at in the book.

The ending to the film is also quite different to the book's ending, omitting one of the weirdest parts of King's novel. But it was changed on purpose by director Andy Muschietti for a pretty good reason.

WARNING: Spoilers for IT: Chapter Two ahead. If you haven't seen the film or read the book, look away now!

IT: Chapter Two's ending is different from the book. Picture: Warner Bros.

In the original book ending, at the same time as the big showdown between the Losers and Pennywise, the town of Derry begins disappearing into a sinkhole following a huge storm and Pennywise's eventual demise.

It doesn't quite happen that way in the film. Once Pennywise is defeated by the Losers in the film (in almost the same way as they do in the book), they managed to escape Neibolt House which then crumbles into the ground, echoing King's original ending. The group then return to Derry, which is still very much standing. The memories and Pennywise's hold on the town, however, do begin to vanish much like in the book.

Speaking to Den of Geek, director Andy Muschietti explained why he opted out of King's original ending and went for something that kept the intimate character-driven emotions in tact, despite King requesting that the destruction of Derry feature in the film.

"The ending in the book is bombastic and of course the emotional punch is there," he said. "But it’s so bombastic and spectacular it takes away from a little bit from the feelings and the emotions at play within this group of characters."

"One thing I knew is that I wanted to keep it intimate and heartbreaking in a way. So I wanted to make an end that was more about the feelings of these characters than huge spectacle. In the book, the whole of Derry falls into a sinkhole and there's a flood, it's a big disaster movie - if it was a movie."

Another incredibly weird part of the original book, which saw young Bill come face to face with a magical ancient turtle called Maturin during the Ritual of Chüd while hurtling through the "Macroverse, wasn't included in the sequel either after being left out of the first film. Ultimately, Muschietti decided against adding it altogether.

"It deals with jumping to the other side, to the Macroverse, to that other dimension where It lives or where It is supposed to have come from," he says. "And I wanted to keep that a mystery. For me, it was important to maintain the perspective of the characters as a point of view."

And there you have it. Would you have preferred a glimpse into the Macroverse? Or where you happy with how it all ended?