Logo

It isn’t often that critics go nuts over a sequel — or a sequel to a horror movie, for that matter.

But early praise for “It Chapter 2,” which will star “SNL” alum Bill Hader, confirms that the second act just might be better than the first for the Stephen King classic.

The release date for “It Chapter 2” is Sept. 6. The first movie, released in 2017, delivered sheer horror with the murderous underground activities of a child-preying clown, played by Bill Skarsgård. The 3-hour sequel promises to deal with some heavier issues, such as childhood trauma and coming-of-age emotions of the now-grown characters, the critics say.

And Hader, critics say in teaser Twitter reviews, might just have outdone Pennywise himself in his potentially Oscar-winning performance.

“I definitely teared up at the very end. Bill Hader steals it,” tweeted Erik Davis, managing editor of Fandango.

1 of 6
Critics say Bill Hader is Oscar-worthy in "It Chapter 2."Warner Bros.
A scene from "It Chapter 2," which takes place 27 years after the events of the first movieWarner Bros.
Advertisement
Pennywise returns in "It Chapter 2." Warner Bros.
Bill Hader stars in "It Chapter 2."Warner Bros.
Advertisement

Here’s a taste of the social media reactions. Not all of them are glowing in regards to the overall film — but there is serious praise for Hader:

“It Chapter 2” also stars Jessica Chastain, Xavier Dolan, Jake Weary and Jess Weixler.

Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy