James McAvoy’s IT Chapter Two Injuries Were Pretty Serious

James McAvoy banging on glass in It Chapter Two

Horror movies have kept the attention of moviegoers for decades, with the ability to make the audience feel anxiety and fear as they watch characters fight for their life. And while these types of flicks are filmed within the precautions of a movie set, it can still be dangerous to film movies. We've seen a variety of actors injured while filming over the past few years, and IT Chapter Two added James McAvoy to those ranks.

About a year ago, it was revealed that James McAvoy was hurt while filming his lead role in Andy Muschietti’s It Chapter Two. While the actor originally claimed he had minor strains in his thighs, it turns out that his injuries were far more serious, and felt months after the highly anticipated sequel wrapped. Namely, he ended up suffering from tendonitis for six months after shooting, in addition to his aforementioned quad injury.

This update comes to us from San Diego Comic-Con. James McAvoy joined his IT Chapter Two cast members at the historical Hall H, revealing three key scenes from upcoming sequel, in addition to the epic final trailer. McAvoy eventually was able to address the crowd, and revealed the lengthy injuries he suffered from his time in Derry. I guess Pennywise could have made it worse for him.

Exactly how James McAvoy hurt himself is unclear, but smart money says that it might have to do with the epic hall of mirrors scene shown in the recent trailer. Adult Bill follows a young resident of Derry into a funhouse, attempting to get him out before Bill Skarsgard's Pennyswise could feast on him. The trailer shows McAvoy repeatedly kicking a glass wall in an attempt to save the boy, and they're high kicks that could easily injure someone who was emoting too hard.

As a reminder, you can check out the original Instagram post by James McAvoy, when he thought the injuries wouldn't be as severe as they turned out to be.

A photo posted by on

Little did he know that the physical affect of working on It Chapter Two would stick around long after the principal photography wrapped. So in addition to having nightmares about Pennywise, the dancing clown took its physical toll on James McAvoy.

Related: How Tom Cruise’s Foot Injury Actually Helped Mission: Impossible Fallout

It Chapter Two looks truly horrifying, as Pennywise is back to get vengeance on the adult Losers' Club and the town of Derry. James McAvoy leads a strong cast of adult actors, and the young cast from the first IT will also have roles.

All will be revealed when IT Chapter Two hits theaters on September 6th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.