New horror film It, based on the novel by Stephen King, has been doing phenomenally well between positive reviews and big box office receipts. Last weekend, we reported how the film broke records for largest opening day for a horror film, an R-rated film, and a September release.

It’s no wonder then that people are already asking Andy Muschietti about the film's sequel. While Chapter Two hasn’t been given the official green light by Warner Bros just yet, writing and development for the film are already underway.

In King’s novel, the story is told concurrently between the present and past with the early 90s mini-series looking at the characters in both their childhood and adulthood.

“On the second movie, that dialogue between timelines will be more present,” the director told EW. “If we’re telling the story of adults, we are going to have flashbacks that take us back to the ‘80s and inform the story in the present day.”

 

If the sequel takes such a direction, that means adult versions of the characters will inevitably feature in the new film, but who will be cast? One name being thrown in the mix is Jessica Chastain. Not only does she bear a likeness to Beverly actress Sophia Lillis in this year’s It, she also previously worked with Muschietti in his hit horror film Mama.

“Jessica is an amazing actress and a very good friend and I would love her to play Beverly,” the director told Variety. “She loves the movie and it feels like the planets are aligned in that sense, but we still have to make that happen. There are a lot of ideas for the rest of the cast that I’m playing with, but it’s a bit too premature to say those names right now.”

Muschietti also said about the sequel would involve a darker storyline for Mike Hanlon, played as a child by Chosen Jacobs. “My idea of Mike in the second movie is quite darker from the book,” he told EW. “I want to make his character the one pivotal character who brings them all together, but staying in Derry took a toll with him. I want him to be a junkie actually. A librarian junkie. When the second movie starts, he’s a wreck.”

While no new cast members have been confirmed so far, one actor will be back for sure – Bill Skarsgard as the terrifying Pennywise.