8 Things IT Chapter 2 Must Do To Succeed

If the rather blunt 'It: Chapter One' title card that popped up just before the credits didn't make it clear, then the record-breaking box-office numbers did: Andy Muschietti's adaptation of the terrifying Stephen King novel is definitely getting a sequel.

As fans of said novel (or the 1990 miniseries) will know, the story is a tale of two halves - one half featuring the self-titled Losers' Club fighting Pennywise as children, and the other featuring them as adults as they return to Derry to battle the evil clown once again.

If the upcoming Chapter Two is even half as good as the original then we're all in for another spooky good time at the movies, but as is the case with any sequel, there's a risk the filmmakers will drop the ball, grow overly self-indulgent or repeat mistakes they made the first time around.

Hopefully that won't be the case here, but since this particular sequel is unusual in that it's literally the second part of the same story, it's important for it to flow seamlessly on from the first, and there's a lot that could go wrong with that.

So, in a perfect world, what would it take for It: Chapter Two to be as successful - both in terms of quality and audience reception - as the first?

Warning: spoilers for It: Chapter One (and the entire original novel), throughout.

Given how much of a success It: Chapter One has been for Warner Bros, you would think they'd immediately sign director Andy Muschietti, producer Barbara Muschietti, and several others on for the sequel.

Well... they haven't! Yet. Though the Muschiettis (and star Bill Skarsgard) are fully expected to return, a deal hasn't officially been inked. The only person we know will be back is writer Gary Dauberman, who's currently working on a draft of the script. We haven't heard anything about any of the other people involved, including cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung or producer Seth Grahame-Smith.

While it does take time to craft a deal both parties agree upon, it would be wise of Warner Bros to snap up the talent involved quickly - particularly Andy Muschietti, who's never been more in demand than he is right now.

And, while some sequels turn out just fine with a different creative team (recent horror flicks Annabelle: Creation and Ouija: Origin Of Evil are good examples) the fact that the second It film is literally the next chapter of the story means it's important that everyone who worked on the first movie returns to make the second, in order for both chapters to feel unified.