Back in the summer of 2019, director Andy Muschietti began talking about a tantalizing idea. Although IT: Chapter One and IT: Chapter Two were developed individually (the latter not getting the greenlight until after the first became a box office phenomenon), the filmmaker discussed the idea of creating a supercut with the two features: an edit that would fuse them together into a single cinematic experience. Since then, a good amount of time has passed, and the franchise has grown with the airing of HBO’s IT: Welcome To Derry – but Muschietti is not letting the special project go.
A new update about the supercut’s progress has arrived online, but it’s only one of a few headlines to emerge from the world of Stephen King in the last few days for discussion in this week’s edition of The King Beat. In addition to the latest about the ultimate adaptation of IT, there has also been some big news on the small screen front, as fresh information has come to light about the future of both the aforementioned IT: Welcome To Derry and the MGM+ series The Institute. There is much to discuss, so let’s dig in!
It’s Been Almost Seven Years Since Andy Muscheitti First Discussed Plans For An IT Supercut, But He Is Still Trying To Make It Happen
In an industry that is constantly trying to catch lightning in a bottle and take advantage of heat/the latest trends, seven years is a long time. Typically, a project that takes that long to get made in Hollywood is said to be trapped in development hell, and only the rare title manages to successfully escape. Needless to say, it’s not an optimistic place for any idea to live in… but that’s not dulling Andy Muschietti’s passion about making an IT supercut, and he apparently has the full support of at least one key name: Stephen King.
In a Spanish-language interview that has been posted on Twitter (discovered via Games Radar), Andy Muschietti has provided an update about the IT supercut, and he noted that one of the most recent people to inquire about it was none other than the author himself – who is apparently just as anxious as we are to see the potentially magical project come together. Said the filmmaker,
Do you know what he asked me about it a month ago? Stephen King. He said, 'How's the super cut going?'' [I said] 'Great. Because it really is a dream come true to put the two films into a single narrative piece.
The idea is relatively simple: while IT: Chapter One and IT: Chapter Two have stories that respectively take place in 1989 and 2016 following the same collection of characters, the idea behind the supercut would be to create an experience that is akin to the book on which the films are based (the novel notably going back and forth between two points in the canon timeline instead of featuring a linear narrative). Muschietti has said in the past that the edit would include not only scenes that got cut out of the theatrical features but would also have brand new material that would need to be shot. He has estimated that the cut would be about six-and-a-half hours long, which is eye-opening when one considers that it takes only a little over five hours to watch the existing blockbusters back-to-back.
Discussing it further, Andy Muschietti explained that his vision involves more than just chopping off the end credits of IT: Chapter One and having the 2016 part of the timeline begin after the young members of the Losers Club disband in the wake of defeating Pennywise; the edit would be far more involved than that. Because of this complexity, one of the great challenges is finding time to invest in it – but the director/producer explained that there is support to get it done:
It's going to have a different structure, possibly. And it's going to have extra added scenes. I have to do some of that filming. But we don't have time. That's the problem… but I think there's interest. It seems to me that the studio is interested in financing it.
I can imagine that every Stephen King/IT fan in the world wants this to happen, as its potential is tremendous. In addition to curiosity about the material that got left on the cutting room floor, I’m particularly fascinated in this project because I want to see how it would impact the pacing issues of IT: Chapter Two: a movie hampered by its flashback sequences, as it spends too much time with the young Losers Club and doesn’t let the adults shine independently.
For now, whether or not it will happen is up in the air, if not especially because Andy Muschietti is a pretty busy guy. In addition to being the guy tapped by DC Studios CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran to direct the upcoming DC blockbuster Batman: The Brave And The Bold, the filmmaker is also part of the future for IT: Welcome To Derry – which is a nice segue into my next King Beat story for the week…
IT: Welcome To Derry Season 2 Is Developing Even Without Getting The Green Light Yet
To be perfectly blunt, IT: Welcome To Derry Season 1 proved to be a huge hit. In addition to getting a positive response from critics, it inspired big numbers both airing on HBO and streaming on HBO Max, and the finale that arrived last month got the most eyeballs of the entire run. Given these circumstances, it’s an odd thing that we have yet to get official word about a renewal, but there is still positive news to report: Season 2 is apparently in active development.
An update about the Stephen King TV series was featured this week in a story from The Hollywood Reporter – albeit not one directly about the HBO show. In breaking the news that screenwriter Christina Hodson has been tapped to collaborate with Andy Muschietti on Batman: Brave And The Bold, the trade report says that work on IT: Welcome To Derry Season 2 has begun despite the fact that news of it happening has not yet been made official.
Can I fully explain this news? No I cannot. I’ve spent weeks being puzzled about the lack of renewal for the show, and that confusion is only heightened by this update – with “Why?” and “How?” being two questions that immediately spring to mind. That being said, I have to take this as good news. In addition to it making me more optimistic that Season 2 will eventually get the greenlight, it’s also nice to know that the extended wait for the official announcement may not slow the development schedule: while I’m not holding my breath for a premiere in fall 2026, I feel like this news keeps 2027 on the table.
The downside, of course, is that we’re going to be waiting regardless. That being said, there is other positive news to share regarding Stephen King on the small screen this year.
Joining Mike Flanagan’s Carrie On The 2026 Calendar, The Institute Season 2 Is Officially Scheduled To Air This Year
For Constant Readers, it’s been hard not to notice the significant dropoff in the number of Stephen King adaptations going from 2025 to 2026. Last year was one of the greatest ever in the relationship between King and Hollywood, as we saw the premiere of four movies and two TV shows, and the coming months only has one new title on the horizon: Mike Flanagan’s Carrie series for Amazon Prime Video.
That’s a whiplash-worthy shift in the number of projects, but there is fresh news that should help those worried about King withdrawal: it’s been confirmed that we will be getting The Institute Season 2 at some point this year.
The news was confirmed by MGM Plus, which posted an update about the show’s future on the streamer’s official Twitter page:
Catch up on your favorites ahead of their grand return. #FROM and #TheInstitute are coming back to #MGMplus in 2026! pic.twitter.com/xuAOzxXlKBJanuary 14, 2026
As of now, there is no more specific information about the release beyond “some point in 2026,” but that’s more than enough to inspire curiosity.
Developed by Benjamin Cavell and producer/director Jack Bender, The Institute wasn’t my favorite King adaptation from 2025, but the show is an entertaining and faithful take on its source material, and there are some interesting questions surrounding Season 2. Specifically: because Season 1 managed to cover the entirety of the novel, how will the show move the story forward without King’s ideas to drive it? It should go without saying that this won’t be the last time you read about the series in this column in the coming months.
On that note, we’ve come to the end of this week’s King Beat – but if your hunger for Stephen King news is not fully satiated, don’t fret! The seven day countdown clock for more has begun, as I will be back here on CinemaBlend next Thursday with a brand new feature diving into all of the latest developments involving the legendary author's works in the film, television, and literary worlds.
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