Indie director/actor Xavier Dolan joins the cast of 'It: Chapter Two'

If you're not in the loop on the indie or foreign film circuit, you're probably unfamiliar with Xavier Dolan. But for those who keep a close tab on Cannes or similar festivals, Dolan is a powerhouse name. The multi-hyphenate is only 29 years old, but he has already earned numerous accolades since his directorial debut at the young age of 20. Films like Laurence Anyways and Mommy have been praised by critics, becoming minor classics in the process. He even won a prize at Cannes for It's Only the End of the World, one of his more divisive outings. After years of working mainly in France, Dolan is finally breaking into the US in a big way, starring in Joel Edgerton's Boy Erased and making his English-language filmmaking debut with The Death and Life of John F. Donovan. And then there's today's game-changing news, which reveals that Dolan will be joining the cast of one of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters of 2019.


According to Deadline, Xavier Dolan has joined the cast of It: Chapter Two, the hotly-anticipated sequel to Andy Muschietti's 2017 smash hit. Dolan will play Adrian Mellon, a gay man who is killed by Pennywise after being attacked by a group of Derry bullies. Will Beinbrink has also signed on to play Tom Rogan, the abusive husband of Beverly Marsh. Dolan and Beinbrink join a cast that already includes Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, James Ransone, Jay Ryan, Isaiah Mustafa, Andy Bean, and Bill Skarsgard, who will be returning to torture audiences as Pennywise the Dancing Clown.

Dolan's addition to the ensemble is particularly exciting, mostly because the director's love for the first film is well-documented. Last September, he named IT as his "favorite film this century," which is a pretty bold statement. In a sequel that has focused on casting based on fan suggestions, it's fun to see an actual fan get cast in the film. Even without that in mind, it's pretty exciting to see Dolan join such a major franchise, and it could signal big things for him in the future. I'm not overly familiar with his work, but I've been hearing about Dolan's greatness for much of the decade now. While I was already pretty thrilled by the ensemble for Chapter Two, I love that Muschietti and company keep adding great talent to this film.

It: Chapter Two will arrive in theaters on September 6, 2019.


Image: IMDb
Poster courtesy of Warner Bros.

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