Fan Fest News

News for Fans, By Fans!

Fan Fest Exclusive Interview: Jaeden Lieberher on His ‘IT’ Experience and What Fans Can Expect!

We are just a day away from the premiere of the adaptation of Stephen King’s IT (here at Fan Fest, our countdown began months ago!) and the hype all across the internet could not be more real. People are dressing up as Pennywise, tying red balloons to sewers, and the Pennywise memes and GIFS are seemingly never-ending.

As we the fans are itching with anticipation to see what masterpiece Andrew Muschietti has cooked up for us, the cast members are equally as excited to see how the fans will react to the film!

One of those cast members who is looking forward to seeing how fans take to the film is Jaeden Lieberher, who plays the character of Bill Denbrough – the leader of The Losers Club.

I recently had the amazing opportunity to speak with Jaeden on his IT experience, and one thing is for sure, he definitely enjoyed every bit of it!

Jaeden Lieberher was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, before moving to Los Angeles at the age of eight. After starring in several commercials, he moved back to the East Coast where he starred in the film St. Vincent, acting across from Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy and Naomi Watts. He then went on to star in films such as Midnight Special and later The Book of Henry.

Now, Jaeden is ready to present Bill to Stephen King fans all around the world!

 

Jules: Prior to being cast in IT were you familiar with either the mini-series or his original novel?

Jaeden: Earlier I had heard about both the mini-series and the novel, but actually a few years later my Aunt, who is a really big fan of Stephen King gave me the book. But I had never read it, (laughs) it’s a little bit of an intimidating read; it’s a really long book!

Jules: Have you gotten the chance to meet Stephen King yet? If so, what was that experience like? 

Jaeden: No, I actually didn’t meet him! I mean, he’s really busy! He has a lot of movies coming out that are based on his novels.

Jules: What would you say is the best part about playing Bill Denbrough and bringing this iconic Stephen King Character to life?

Jaeden: Well, I mean, each character in the Losers Club is very unique. I think one of the coolest things about playing Bill is his stutter- his iconic stutter. Also, he’s kind of the leader. He’s very strong.

Jules: Pennywise, or ‘IT’ preys on the fear of his prey, what kind of work did you do to get yourself into that ‘fearful’ state of mind? 

Jaeden: When I’m trying to act scared I try to imagine myself in a scary situation – or in the scene itself. Like I said before, Bill is a very strong character. So while Bill is scared, he also has to be strong for his group.

Jules: When you first saw Bill Skarsgard come out as Pennywise the Clown, what was your initial reaction? The trailer alone terrifies us!

Jaeden: They actually kept what he looked like a secret from us! They didn’t show us for a really long time. When he came out on set for the first time, yeah, it was really creepy!

Jules: The Trailer for IT is currently one of the most watched videos online, and it really gave a bunch of us at Fan Fest the chills! How did you feel when you first watched the official trailer? I bet it was pretty cool but also eerie at the same time?

Jaeden: It was really exciting! It’s really cool seeing how other people think about it. They did a very good job with the trailer, I mean, it scared me even though I was there to shoot the film!

Jules: Recently you played a role in which you had superpowers, and now you’re playing Bill – a boy who faces his fears to battle a monster that is terrorizing his town.  Would you say that you prefer films that focus on the science fiction and thriller genre? What is your film type?

Jaeden: I don’t have a specific film type. What matters most is the script and how it’s written and the director. Andy is a really good director. IT was really well written.

Jules: After filming IT would you say you’re more open to continuing exploring the horror and thriller genre?

Jaeden: Yeah, of course!

Jules: Without giving away any spoilers, what is one thing you can tell us to expect when IT hits the theaters?

Jaeden: Well I think that people who like Stephen King’s novel, they can expect it to be more like the novel than the mini-series. The horror fans will enjoy the ‘scary’ aspect of the movie. But also, other people who aren’t big fans of scary movies will like the different characters and their relationships – the Losers Club – the bond between the friends.

Jules: What was your favorite part about filming this movie? Was it the relationships you guys established by being a part of the ‘Losers Club’? Or was it the thrill of being in a horror movie? What would you say was your favorite memory of being a part of this film?

Jaeden: It was definitely filming with the other kids in the Losers Club. It was an amazing summer. We hung out every day and we had sleepovers every weekend. We all became best friends.

Jules: So, beings as we are Fan Fest and we are all a bunch of fun-loving nerds… here is my final question for you… Team Captain America or Team Iron Man?

Jaeden: (laughs) Ah! At first, I would say Captain America but now I’m gonna have to go with Iron Man!

Jules: Batman or Superman?

Jaeden: Batman, of course!!

 

IT floats into theaters on September 8th, 2017.