Reboot of Stephen King’s It zeroes in on a new director

In spite of losing True Detective director Cary Fukunaga in May, plans for a rebooted film based on the popular novel appear to be moving in the right direction. Andy Muschietti, who directed the popular (and scary) film Mama, is reportedly in talks to direct the upcoming horror flick, according to THR.

Filming was expected to begin toward the end of June, until Fukunaga pulled out just three weeks prior to shooting, after years on board the project . The project was delayed, leaving It‘s fate up in the air. To this point, New Line hasn’t opted to shelve the project or sell it, and the studio seems to have made great progress in finding a quality replacement. Overall, the future of the reborn film looks much more optimistic than it did just six weeks ago.

Based on the 1986 bestseller, It was first adapted as a TV movie/miniseries that aired in two 90-minute parts in 1990. The plot follows a group of friends from childhood to adulthood as they try to destroy a creepy, evil force that takes the form of whatever will frighten its prey most — usually a terrifying clown (naturally) called Pennywise. Over the years, It has remained a cult classic, so it’s not surprising that New Line seems determined to soldier on, in spite of initial setbacks.

In addition to replacing Fukunaga, New Line may also have to find a new actor for the terrifying dark force at the center of the story. Will Poulter had previously signed on to play Pennywise, an iconic role filled by Tim Curry in the original book-to-film adaptation, but the Maze Runner actor is no longer officially attached to the project, so the studio may have to shift some things around to get him back on board, or look for a replacement.

If New Line inks a deal with Muschietti, they’ll also be on the hunt for a new writer to finalize the script, though THR reports that Muschietti’s sister and writing partner Barbara Muschietti may also sign on to help get things back on track.

There’s a lot to be done, but it appears It is moving forward, after all.