Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy speak on graphic hate crime in 'IT Chapter Two'

Actors Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy talked about the graphic scenes of abuse and hate crime that features in the horror film 'IT Chapter Two', at the London premiere on Monday (September 2).

Adaptations often deviate from the books they are based on but on this occasion, in what McAvoy called one of the most 'harrowing' scenes in the film, it stays true to Stephen King's original.

Like in the novel Adrian Mellon (Xavier Dolan) is attacked by a gang of homophobic teens and is thrown off a bridge into the water, and the waiting arms of the film's villain Pennywise the clown.

Talking at the premiere, to the backdrop of replica haunted house from the film, director Andy Muschietti said the homophobic attack in the movie is based on the real-life 1984 Charlie Howard murder, which happened in Bangor, Maine where Stephen King lived.

"I think it is very relevant today with the times that we're living in," he added.

Pennywise is back in this sequel, set 27 years after the events of 2017's 'IT', the highest-grossing horror film of all time. Muschietti reunites the now grown-up 'Losers Club' to fight the evil clown with comedian and actor Bill Hader stepping in as an older Richie Tozier, who was previously played by 'Stranger Things' actor Finn Wolfhard in the 2017 film.

'IT Chapter Two' opens in UK theatres on September 6.