Jessica Chastain close to inking ‘IT’ sequel deal
After much pleading from the internet as well as from IT director Andy Muschietti himself (he directed Chastain in the horror film Mama), Oscar and Golden Globe nominated actress Jessica Chastain is now officially in talks to join the sequel to the megablockbuster, playing Beverly as an adult in the continuing story of the Stephen King novel of the same name. Muschietti will return as director and Gary Dauberman will write the script. Chastain takes over the reigns for Sophia Lillis, who played young Beverly in the $700M worldwide hit.
The first part of IT followed a band of pre-teens in Maine who are terrorized by the clown Pennywise. The sequel, which covers the second half of the book, will focus on them as adults returning to their hometown to once again face Pennywise. Muschietti has said the first film’s young cast will possibly be featured in flashbacks.
The New Line Cinema sequel is set for September 9, 2019 with production to start this summer.
Chastain was most recently seen in Aaron Sorkin’s Oscar-nominated Molly’s Game for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. She’s also on board to co-star with Octavia Spencer in a heist comedy. Chastain used her position to get the studio (Universal) to pony up an equal salary for her Oscar-winning co-star.
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Critics Choice Association (CCA), San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
- 2026 Cannes Film Festival Winners: Cristian Mingiu’s ‘Fjord’ Takes the Palme, Seventh Win in a Row for NEON - May 23, 2026
- Cannes 2026: Sandra Wollner’s ‘Everytime’ Wins Un Certain Regard Grand Prize - May 22, 2026
- ‘Coward’ Review: Belgian Soldiers Find Love in Lukas Dhont’s Hidden Romance Masterpiece [A] Cannes - May 21, 2026
Carrie Preston (‘Elsbeth’) on the Resurgence of Broadcast Television and What She Sees for Season 4 [VIDEO INTERVIEW] 
AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 345: Recapping the 79th Cannes Film Festival and Looking to the Awards Future 
‘The Beloved’ Review: Javier Bardem Makes a Meal Out of Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s Movie-Making Buffet [B] 
‘The Dreamed Adventure’ Review: Valeska Grisebach’s Observant Thriller Examines the Grey Zones of Morality [B+]