◼◼ (t◼◼led onscreen as ◼◼ Chapter One) is a 2017 American supernatural horror film directed by Andy Muschietti and wr◼◼ten by Chase Palmer, Cary Fukunaga, and Gary Dauberman. ◼◼ is the first of a two-part adaptation of the 1986 novel of the same name by Stephen King, as well as the second adaptation following Tommy Lee Wallace's 1990 miniseries. Starring Jaeden Lieberher and Bill Skarsgård, the film was produced by New Line Cinema, KatzSm◼◼h Productions, Lin Pictures, and Vertigo Entertainment. Set in the fictional town of Derry, Maine, the film tells the story of The Losers' Club, a group of seven outcast children who are terrorized by the eponymous being which emerges from the sewer in the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown (Skarsgård), and face their own personal demons as the monster torments them. Development began in March 2009 by Warner Bros., w◼◼h David Kajganich planned to direct, before being replaced by Fukunaga in June 2012. Fukunaga dropped out in May 2015 and was replaced by Muschietti in June. He drew inspiration from 1980s films including The Howling (1981), The Thing (1982), The Goonies (1985), Stand by Me (1986) and Near Dark (1987), and c◼◼ed the influence of Steven Spielberg. The film was moved to New Line Cinema division in May 2014. Principal photography began in Toronto on June 27, 2016, and ended on September 21, 2016. ◼◼ was filmed on locations in the Greater Toronto Area, including Port Hope, Oshawa, and Riverdale. Benjamin Wallfisch was hired in March 2017 to compose the musical score. ◼◼ premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, on September 5, 2017, and was released in the Un◼◼ed States on September 8, in 2D and IMAX formats. A cr◼◼ical and commercial success, the film set box office records and grossed over $704 million worldwide, becoming the third-highest-grossing R-rated film at the time of ◼◼s release, and grossed over $719 million through subsequent re-releases. Unadjusted for inflation, ◼◼ became the highest-grossing horror film of all time. The film received generally pos◼◼ive reviews, w◼◼h cr◼◼ics praising the performances, direction, cinematography and musical score, and was called one of the best Stephen King adaptations. ◼◼ received numerous awards and nominations, including a nomination for the Cr◼◼ics' Choice Movie Award for Best Sci-Fi/Horror Movie. ◼◼ appeared on several cr◼◼ics' end-of-year lists. The second film, ◼◼ Chapter Two, was released on September 6, 2019, covering the remainder of the book. A prequel television series, t◼◼led ◼◼: Welcome to Derry, premiered on HBO on October 26, 2025, w◼◼h Skarsgård reprising his role as Pennywise.