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First look at James McAvoy in horror sequel 'It: Chapter 2'

Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise in It (Credit: Warner Bros/New Line)
Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise in It (Credit: Warner Bros/New Line)

Soon enough we’ll be returning to the sleepy town of Derry in Maine to see how that whole killer clown business affected The Losers Club in later life in It: Chapter Two.

And now we’ve got our first glimpse of Brit actor James McAvoy, 27 years on from the events of the first movie.

McAvoy plays Bill Denbrough, played by Jaeden Lieberher in the first film, the young actor who made his name in movies like St. Vincent with Bill Murray and Midnight Special with Michael Shannon.

Read more: First It: Chapter 2 footage

Director Andy Muschetti, who scored a phenomenal $700 million for Warner Bros with the first movie, dropped the picture on his Instagram page.

And while he doesn’t looked excessively haunted, there’s a certain pensive intensity to that thousand yard stare.

And here’s the young Bill from the first movie, to compare and contrast…

Jaeden Lieberher in It (Credit: Warner Bros/New Line)
Jaeden Lieberher in It (Credit: Warner Bros/New Line)

The story will pick up years later, with The Losers Club, led by Denbrough, now all grown up.

Jessica Chastain is playing the Beverly Marsh, Jay Ryan as Ben Hanscom, Bill Hader as Richie Tozier, Isaiah Mustafa as Mike Hanlon, James Ransone as Eddie Kaspbrak, and Andy Bean as Stan Uris.

Read more: It: Chapter Two to explore ‘cosmic dimension’ of the book

In a separate timeline in the sequel, the young cast (Lieberher, Sophia Lillis, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Chosen Jacobs, Jack Dylan Grazer, Andy Bean and Finn Wolfhard) will also reprise their roles, as will Bill Skarsgård as the shape-shifting demon Pennywise.

Per the official synopsis: “Twenty-seven years after the events of the summer of 1989, It (Bill Skarsgård) returns. The Losers’ Club fulfill their promises and return to Derry to put an end to the evil being once and for all. Unbeknownst to them, It has returned, stronger and crueler than ever.”

The film lands on September 6.

McAvoy, meanwhile, will next be seen in final X-Men chapter Dark Phoenix, due out in June. Check out the latest trailer below.