'It' horror series a love letter to childhood: Director

Director Andy Muschietti says author Stephen Kings horror novel "It" turned out to be a mirror of his awkwardness and insecurities while growing up.

Muschietti, who has helmed the "It" film franchise based on the iconic 1986 novel, says revisiting the book for the films helped him look at it from a "different perspective".

"It was a story that spoke to me about experiences I was having. It was a kind of mirror that showed all of the awkwardness and insecurities at that age," Muschietti said.

"Reading 'It' again as an adult, you understand the story from a different perspective. It is basically a love letter to childhood and talks about all of the treasures of that time, like imagination and belief, that are inevitably lost in adulthood. That's why these special kids, who now happen to be adults, are the hope in this story," he added.

"It Chapter Two" brings back Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise The Dancing Clown, who is more terrifying and bloodthirsty than ever in Muschietti's follow-up to the hit 2017 movie.

Talking about King's involvement, Muschietti said: "Stephen is very respectful of adaptations, and our communications with him started when we were nearly finished with the first chapter. We screened it for him, and he reacted very positively. I didn't want to let the chance go by without getting his thoughts for our second film."

"It Chapter Two" is set 27 years after the first instalment with grown-up versions of the Loser Club. They face off against Pennywise one more time as the evil entity returns to terrorise the children of Derry, Maine. Warner Bros. Pictures will release the film in India on September 6 in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

"I love the dialogue between the two timelines in the book and I always wanted to include that in the second film. 'IT Chapter Two' is the story of the Losers as adults 27 years later, but they go back to their memories to retrieve something that is very, very necessary. They have to remember who they were, as well as their amazing bond with each other", he added.

It also stars Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, James Ransone, Andy Bean, Jay Ryan and Isaiah Mustafa. Jaeden Martell, Wyatt Oleff, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Chosen Jacobs and Jack Dylan Grazer.

( With inputs from IANS )