Warning: Mild spoilers for IT Chapter Two below.
Stephen King can't write a good ending.
At least, that's what naysayers have been claiming for much of the author's decades-long career. Over the years, displeased fans have demanded rewrites, screen adaptors have substituted their own conclusions in lieu of King's, and literary snobs with axes to grind have griped that horror's most renowned writer isn't "all that good."
In a recent article from the Telegraph, critic Jake Kerridge went so far as to claim King doesn't particularly care about crafting perfect finales — citing lines from King's memoir On Writing as proof of a steadfast storytelling philosophy that fans should learn to (lovingly) accept as part of the King canon.
On Twitter, King seemed little more than amused by Kerridge's comments.
But in IT Chapter Two, the latest and most highly anticipated adaptation of King's work to date, the best-selling author nods to critics past and present with a resounding and spectacular "screw you" via cameo.
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Midway through the film, Bill (James McAvoy) spots Silver, his childhood bike, for sale at a local antique shop. Eager to repurchase his ride, Bill enters the store and meets an unnamed shopkeeper, a role written for and portrayed by King.
The shopkeeper, recognizing Bill as a famous horror novelist, quotes the bike at $300 and quips that Bill can afford it thanks to his fame. Pulling out his wallet, Bill sees a copy of his latest book on the front counter. He asks the shopkeeper if he should sign it.
"Nah," the shopkeeper says. "I didn't like the ending."
It's an original scene, and a spectacular summation of King's public attitude towards criticism — plus a nod to the readers who interpret the character of Bill as an autobiographical representation of King. (Some have gone so far as to say the events of It really happened to King as a child, and believe King is preparing for the reawakening of Pennywise in 2038.)
Screenwriter Gary Dauberman, an apparent King fan responsible for writing the exchange, told reporters at an IT Chapter Two press conference that he penned the scene without any confirmation that King would do it. Director Andy Muschietti, who convinced King to play the part, says the author was indeed hesitant — but not because of anything the scene said about him or his work.
"I wanted [King] in the movie, so I offered him a cameo," recalled Muschietti, per GameSpot. "The first thing he said was, 'Well, you have to consider that I'm a jinx. Every movie that I'm in bombs.'"
With a projected opening weekend into the hundreds of millions, IT Chapter Two isn't likely to bomb — although critical reactions have been mixed, with many carping about the story's finale.
Will those complaints faze the Master of Horror? Probably not. King has proven, once again, that he can meet even the most frightening critic with little more than a shrug.
After all, in the town of Derry, things are only scary if you believe in them.
IT Chapter 2 is now in theaters.
Topics Stephen King
