The idea of Pennywise the Dancing Clown going after a bunch of kids is already terrifying but it looks like he wasn't the only bad guy who was supposed to show up in It: Chapter One. Andy Muschietti has revealed that the first chapter of the film almost featured none other than 80s horror icon Freddy Krueger himself.
According to Screenrant, Muschietti toyed with the idea of bringing in the main antagonist of the Nightmare on Elm Street film franchise into Chapter One. The plan was to have Pennywise transform into Freddy as he goes after the Losers Club. It's an idea that would make perfect sense considering that the first part of the movie adaptation takes place in the late 1980s. Muschietti claimed that he took inspiration from Stephen King himself using the Universal monsters (the Wolfman, for instance) to terrorize the kids in the novel.
But why was the idea abandoned? Muschietti later decided that Freddy's appearance might distract the audience (or send them running out the theater). Instead, he opted to have Pennywise transform into more personal monsters like Eddie Kaspbrak's leper and Beverly Marsh's father.
Although Freddy didn't show up in the flesh in It: Chapter One, there was still a subtle nod to the horror icon. There was a marquee of A Nightmare on Elm Street 5 spotted on the Derry theater.
Do you think Muschietti made the right call of not adding Freddy Krueger in It: Chapter One? Sound off in the comments below.
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