Andres Muschetti: ”Modern clowns look cheap”
Horror films of this year are lucky at the box office, but it seems that the most "terrible" is still ahead. We are talking, of course, about the long-awaited film "It" , the adaptation of one of the most famous novels by Stephen King, the shooting of which was entrusted to Andres Muschetti . Initially, Carey Fukunaga was assigned to the project, but due to disagreements with studio bosses, he handed over the reins to the director of the acclaimed horror movie "Mom".In an interview, Andres talked about his vision of the image of Pennywise , casting for this role, his own contribution to the plot of the picture, as well as many other things that he had to face during the filming. King's work is a horror of pure water, also related to children. What was your approach to adaptation given the R rating? We were originally going to stick to the atmosphere of the original, and this step allowed us to fulfill our plans. It's great that the studio agreed to this. This doesn't happen often.  Was the picture assigned a rating right away? Yes, in the very early stages of development. It is difficult to find good teenage actors, but here you had to select a whole team, and even for such a difficult project ... We're in luck with the cast. All children grew up in very liberal families and are well aware of the relationship between violence and sex. In addition, they are open to discussing such issues. How did this project end up on your table? When Carey Fukunaga left as director, I contacted the studio bosses and offered them my ideas based on the script I had already written. And they liked them.  What's new in the film adaptation? Brought something in. We had a good script, also in terms of character depth. However, it did not touch upon one of the main qualities of Pennywise - his volatility. And that was almost the first thing I started discussing with the producers. You have been a fan of the original novel for a long time. What hooked you on it? I am a great admirer of Stephen King . As a teenager, he was one of my favorite writers. However, only in the process of growing up does a person begin to realize what real friendship is. Comprehension of its value becomes available against the background of important events in life. Therefore, after rereading the book 20 years later, I again felt a connection with this plot. The film will tell two intertwined stories: about the heroes at a young age and about those who have already matured. Have you added anything to this concept? The storyline about children has always seemed more interesting to me, but I appreciate the fact that we will have some kind of dialogue between time periods. Having joined the team, I immediately began to insist that in the "adult" story we have flashbacks that will cover events not shown in the first part.  Tell us about your vision for Pennywise. Aesthetically, I have never been attracted to modern clowns. They look cheap. Their image is involved in the circus, although I have a wonderful attitude to the circus as a phenomenon. And yet I prefer 19th century clowns. Considering that It has existed for thousands of years, I thought: why not use the image of the 1800s? They say you invited a huge number of applicants to the casting of Pennywise, among whom there were even women. What were you looking for? I expected someone to surprise me. What was needed was an actor who looked childishly innocent like Bill Skarsgard. I also talked with the previous candidate for this role, Will Poulter, but at that time he was not particularly interested. His career was just beginning to develop, and it seemed to me that this prospect scared him a little. In general, I looked at a lot of people, but only a few were included in the shortlist, and Bill took the lead.  You set some direction, or it worked itself over the image?I gave him some advice, and then long negotiations followed. What about? I won't tell you that. (Laughs) Then tell us at least about the appearance of your Pennywise. We heard that you brought a sketch for the first meeting with the studio ... I had a sketch of a baby, like the ones used in Gerber baby food ads. With eyes wide open and wide. Since then, our clown's design has undergone many changes. The Pennywise you are about to see is very special. He has the same crazy hairstyle as the previous one, but otherwise he is very different. His main incarnation is a very strange child. One of the most memorable features of old Pennywise was his voice. Are you going to do something in post-production or will you leave the voice of Bill Skarsgard? Let's leave it as it is. But it won't sound the same. Pennywise is an unpredictable character, so he has a kind of stage image (in fact, a clown), but then, in certain episodes, he turns into a completely different entity, which is known to everyone as It . This is a completely different matter.  Some directors have a more nostalgic approach to childhood, while others have a much tougher approach. Who is closer to you in this regard - Steven Spielberg or Larry Clark? Great question. Probably, I am somewhere in the middle, but definitely far from idealizing. In the film, you will see moments inherent in both Spielberg and Clark . You have not been able to discuss your ideas with Stephen King. How important was his approval? I'm thrilled to be working on the adaptation and would love to have a chance to meet Stephen King during the preparation. However, I eventually realized that I could do without it. During the filming, it became apparent that our contribution to this story worked on its own. In addition, in his work there are many not very cinematic moments, extremes, which could be dispensed with, for example, orgies. We cannot show that. But you still intend to show Georgie's death. Will she be terrible? This is how she was in the book. I'll tell you something (and it might not be worth posting): there is no confirmation that the boy died ... Yes, he was attacked by Pennywise , and Georgie disappeared in the sewers, leaving a trail of blood, but his body was never found. Actually, this is what pushes Bill to search. Source: Collider The Topic of Article: Andres Muschetti: ”Modern clowns look cheap”. |
