Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Wednesday 6 september 2017
Stephen King inspired ‘It’ filmmakers to become storytellers

By SANDY COHEN in half and shifted its setting And I thought well, fine. OK.
AP Entertainment Writer by 30 years. We’ll do a final exam and
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — “It just became evident I will say everything there
In 1989, when Stephen King that you can’t take an is to say that I know about
had already published 1,100-plus page book and monsters and fear and how
more than 20 books, three condense it down into one childhood is the perfect
teenagers were discover- movie,” Grahame-Smith growth medium for terri-
ing his horror novel “It,” a said. fying things — everything
1,100-page epic about a The novel centers on seven from Hansel and Gretel to
group of adolescent out- characters in Derry, Maine, the Werewolf of London —
casts and a shapeshift- during two periods in their and I’ll put it all in one book
ing villain who most often lives: as kids in the late and that will be it, that will
In this combination photo, author Stephen King appears at a manifests as a child-eating 1950s, and as adults in the be done and I can move
book promotion event in Paris in 2013, left, and filmmaker Seth clown. mid-’80s. The film, though, on and do whatever other
Grahame-Smith appears at the “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Those teenage readers focuses only on their child- things that I’ve got to do,”
Hunter” premiere in New York in 2012. grew up to become film- hood, when they first meet King said by phone from his
makers, and they joined Pennywise the Dancing home in Maine.
forces to make “It” into Clown. And it’s set around “And so for this to come
a movie, opening Friday. the time the filmmakers first back at this time is kind of a
Director Andy Muschietti, discovered the book. remarkable thing.”
screenwriter Gary Dauber- Today’s moviegoers may King would go on to write
man and producer Seth be more nostalgic for the many other horror stories,
Grahame-Smith say King’s 1980s than the 1950s, Gra- including “Misery” and
work shaped the storytell- hame-Smith said. “The Tommyknockers,”
ers they are today, and his “They remember growing both of which were adapt-
approval of their adapta- up and being teenagers ed for the screen.
tion is critical if they’re to in the 1980s, so it just made He said he has no problem
consider the film a success. sense to push it forward,” with the 1980s setting for
“There’s no way I would be he said. “So that ultimately “It” because “there’s the
a writer or a novelist with- when we do hopefully get same feeling of nostalgia
out Stephen King,” said to tell the second part of for people who are grown-
Grahame-Smith, author of the story, it’ll be present ups who say,
“Pride and Prejudice and day.” ‘Well, I remember that
Zombies” and “Abraham This film is about how a era.’” And he thinks it was
Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,” group of kids who call a “no-brainer” to split the
both of which were adapt- themselves book in two and focus just
ed for the screen. “The last “The Losers’ Club” band to- on the protagonists as kids.
thing we would ever want gether when they discover “I thought it was a terrific
is to be part of a lesser Ste- a mysterious and evil force idea,” he said. “And I’m
phen King movie.” is responsible for the fre- hoping that the movie will
“He’s definitely on my quent disappearance of be a success and they’ll do
Rushmore of horror writ- children in their small town. the grown-ups, and then
ers,” Dauberman said, also One boy in the club lost his they can do a DVD pack-
mentioning Edgar Allan beloved little brother to it. age where everything’s to-
Poe, Christopher Pike and Others have had personal gether!”
R.L. Stine. encounters with the creepy Summing up his thoughts
If King dislikes the film, “it’s being. They decide that on the film, King said, “I
like disappointing a fam- their only chance of beat- liked it.”
ily member in a way,” ing it is to stick together. “That was when I exhaled,”
said the screenwriter, who “It” stars a fine bunch Dauberman said. “I want
counts the horror hit “An- of child actors, includ- everyone to enjoy it, but his
nabelle: Creation” among ing Jaeden Lieberher opinion was the one that
his credits. “And my wife’s (“The Book of Henry”) and mattered to me most.”
from Maine (like King), so Finn Wolfhard (“Stranger The same goes for the di-
I’m like, ‘Am I going to be Things”), with Bill Skarsgard rector and producers.
able to go back and visit?’ as the terrifying Pennywise. “In some ways, the best day
He’s just everywhere.” King said in an interview of this whole experience
Muschietti said King is one last week that the book was when we screened
of the greatest creative is among his favorites, the movie for him and he
influences in his life. “I’m “in kind of a problematic loved it,” Grahame-Smith
wired with his way of telling way.” said.
stories,” he said. “There was a point in my “After that, it was a huge
But with “It,” the filmmak- career where people were sigh of relief because
ers immediately made two calling me Horrormeister whatever else happened,
major changes to the origi- and, you know, the scary we pleased the man
nal novel: they chopped it guy. himself.”q