By The second trailer for IT made its debut on MTV last night, and it marked a significant depart from the first. While the initial spot placed a heavy emphasis on Pennywise and the more horrific elements from Stephen King’s opus, the new trailer puts the spotlight on The Losers Club.
It’s a smart move, and it shows that the film will invest in bringing the deep bonds of friendship within the group to life. The trailer essential wraps smaller moments around an extended scene that highlights the various personalities with the group.
Part of what makes the trailer work so well is it taps in to the very real childhood fear when one realizes adults can’t always help. As Bill says in his voiceover, “When you’re alone as a kid, the monsters see you as weaker.” In that moment we see a grinning Norbert Keene splashed across the screen. Readers of the novel remember Keene as pharmacist who inflicted psychological torment on a young Eddie Kaspbrak when he told him the truth about his asthma inhaler.
The scene that follows, with the group bickering about whether to enter the sewer tunnels or not, is wonderful and warm and funny. That is, until the humor is punctured by the discovery of a sneaker belonging to Betty Ripson, one of Derry’s missing children.
It’s a chilling moment and one that reminds the audience of the stakes at play. While Pennywise only makes a brief appearance at the trailer’s end, his presence looms large.
IT comes out September 5th, and I can’t remember the last time I felt this much excitement for a mainstream horror film.
