Filmmaker Andy Muschietti is switching things up on the highly anticipated IT sequel IT: Chapter Two, at least when it comes to the behind the scenes team. It was previously reported that Muschietti has enlisted Oscar-winning The Shape of Water production designer Paul Austerberry to join the IT 2 team, after Claude Paré (X-Men: Dark Phoenix) served as production designer on the first movie. Now Collider can confirm that a new cinematographer will be lensing IT 2: Checco Varese.

The Handmaiden and Oldboy DP Chung-hoon Chung was the cinematographer on the first IT to great success, but Muschietti has tapped Varese to serve as the DP on the sequel. Varese has an extensive resume that includes a bounty of notable TV pilots, from The Strain to True Blood to the upcoming Locke & Key. He also served as DP on the 2015 feature The 33 and this year’s Keanu Reeves sci-fi film Replicas, as well as Amazon’s upcoming Jack Ryan TV series. So the guy certainly has experience.

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Image via Warner Bros.

It’s interesting to see Muschietti changing things up, but it also makes sense. IT: Chapter Two takes place 27 years after the events of the first film, as the Losers Club must reunite as adults to take on Pennywise once more. Given the massive time jump, Muschietti might be looking for a strikingly different aesthetic to drive home the passage of time. If that’s what he’s going for, this is going to make for a very fascinating double feature.

Production on IT: Chapter Two is expected to begin in July, and casting is underway. While the kid actors from the first film will reprise their roles in some flashbacks, Muschietti has enlisted some A-listers to play their adult counterparts for the bulk of the movie. Jessica Chastain is onboard to play Beverly, while Bill Hader and James McAvoy are in negotiations to play Richie and Bill, respectively.

IT: Chapter Two opens in theaters on September 6, 2019.

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Image via Warner Bros. / New Line Cinema
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Image via Warner Bros.
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Image via Warner Bros.