IT Director Would Love Jessica Chastain To Play Beverly in the Sequel

IT director Andy Muschietti would love for Jessica Chastain to play Beverly Marsh in the film’s sequel. In the feature adaptation, which made its debut over the weekend, newcomer Sophia Lillis plays the character — the only female member of the Losers’ Club. She’s a young girl who endures abuse from her father that eventually carries over into her adult relationships, as well as the love interest for Bill and Ben. In the 1990 mini-series, the elder version of Beverly was portrayed by Anette O’Toole (Smallville), and the younger iteration was played by Emily Perkins (Ginger Snaps).


Muschietti’s comments come just days after IT‘s record breaking opening weekend, which saw the film draw in a staggering $185 million worldwide total. It marks the third largest opening weekend of 2017 and the biggest for a horror movie ever, more than doubling Paranormal Activity 3‘s $52.6 million from 2015. But already, Muschietti’s eyes are on the sequel.

During an interview with Variety, writer Justin Kroll floated by the idea of Chastain tackling the role of Beverly in the sequel, as she does bear a resemblance to Lillis. “I don’t know, does she?” Muschietti replied. “Jessi is an amazing actress and very good friend and I would love her to play Beverly.” But, he continued, it’s too early to make that call:

“She loves the movie and it feels like the planets are aligned in that sense, but we still have to make that happen. There are a lot of ideas for the rest of the cast that I’m playing with, but it’s a bit too premature to say those names right now.”

So close to IT‘s release, little is known about the sequel, though a few details have begun to trickle out. In an interview with EW, Muschietti revealed that though the story will move into adulthood, flashbacks will be play a significant role in the film, which means the kid actors will still be involved. We also know that things will get darker for Mike, but there have yet to be any specifics about where Beverly’s narrative will be headed (though there are surely guesses to be made based on the novel).


Chastain, for her part, has worked with Muschietti before: She starred in his directorial debut, 2013’s Mama. She’s also proven a propensity for tackling complex characters in films like Zero Dark Thirty, Crimson Peak, and The Help. It’s likely it will be some time before any official casting announcements are made, but Chastain would certainly make an apt choice for the part.