The death of Georgie is a shocking moment in both the IT novel and 2017 movie – here’s how the two versions compare. IT is one of Stephen King’s most iconic horror novels and was published back in 1986. The book is a sprawling read, following a group of childhood friends – dubbed the Losers’ Club – who came together to defeat a terrifying creature preying on children in their hometown. While this monster can take the form of just about anything, including the shark from Jaws, it most commonly takes the shape of Pennywise the Dancing Clown.
The kids apparently succeed in stopping Pennywise, only for the monster to return 27 years later, prompting the group to come back and finish IT once and for all. The book was later adapted into a two-part miniseries, where Tim Curry received great acclaim for his performance as Pennywise. The series had some issues, including an underwhelming final showdown, but it also featured some terrifying sequences too.
The novel was later turned into a 2017 movie, with IT: Chapter One proving to be a huge success. The movie adapted the childhood section of the novel first, while IT: Chapter Two will feature the grown-up Losers’portion. The death of Georgie is a key moment in both the novel and the movie. Georgie is the young brother of Bill Denbrough, a member of the Losers’ Club.
In the IT novel, Georgie goes outside during a stormy day to play with a paper boat Bill made for him, only for it slip into a sewer before he can grab it. That’s when Pennywise appears within the sewer, offering to give Georgie his boat back. The young boy is initially cautious talking with the clown, but as they speak Georgie can smell cotton candy and hot dogs coming from the grate, so he decides to reach for the boat. That’s when Pennywise’s face changes shape to Georgie’s worst nightmare before grabbing his arm and rips it off. A neighbor hears Georgie’s piercing scream and rushes over, but by the time he reaches him, the young boy is already dead, with his rain-slicker covered in blood from his wound.
The IT film is relatively faithful to this scene, but it changes a couple of key details. When Georgie grabs his boat, Pennywise’s mouth is seen transforming into a toothy maw, which bits off his arm. Georgie screams and tries to crawl away from the sewer grate, only for Pennywise’s arm to stretch out through the opening and pull him down. A neighbor witnesses his disappearance, but the fact his body is never found gives Bill hope Georgie somehow survived. Pennywise prays on this in the film, using that hope to lure Bill in the finale. Bill later finds the tatters of Georgie’s coat and finally accepts his brother is gone.
Georgie’s death was designed to be a shocking, heartbreaking moment, and show just how evil Pennywise is. Both the IT book and movie do a great job conveying the horror of it, with each offering a slightly different approach.
Key Release Dates
IT Chapter Two
Release Date:2019-09-06
