With the release of It: Chapter 2, the thrilling and terrifying adaptation of Stephen King’s monstrous novel finally comes to a close. The films are both generally well-received and have inspired a new case of coulrophobia for many a movie-goer. But one of the biggest reasons we love the adaptations is because of how well it captures the source material.

Adapting the Stephen King masterpiece is no easy feat, but these two films are an absolute delight for any fan of the book and its author. Just how much does the series take from the novel? Float along with us as we uncover 10 moments from the It films that come straight from the book.

Pennywise’s Design

Though the role was created by the great Tim Curry, Bill Skarsgard gives us a creepy clown that is completely different for this adaptation, and at the same time, closer to the book than its predecessor. Skarsgard’s Pennywise was blatantly scarier than depicted in the book, but his design definitely takes notes from the text.

In the book, Pennywise wears a white clown suit with bright orange buttons, much like the version in the film. However, book Pennywise is more of a Bozo-esque figure with a charming demeanor where the film version is more of a 19th-century design with a huge creep factor. Though another helping of Curry would have been great, we’re sort of attached to this version.

Bill’s Coping Mechanism

“He strikes his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts.” This quote might sound like a sliver of nonsense that Bill Denbrough mutters to himself while riding his bike in the first film, but to those of us who’ve read the book, we know the truth behind the phrase.

In both versions, Bill is depicted with a debilitating stutter that rears its ugly head when he returns to Derry. The phrase “he strikes his fists against the posts…” is a coping mechanism that Bill practices in the book as a way to control his stutter. It’s a small detail in the bigger picture, but it’s one that the literary fans will definitely appreciate.

The Ritual of Chud

Though it was presented differently in the film adaptation, we’re actually really happy the movie had it at all. Though the TV miniseries from the ’90s attempted it as a battle of wits, there’s just something more fitting and at least semi-close to the novel in the new version.

In the book, the Ritual of Chud is essentially a recitation of jokes and riddles while biting on It’s tongue, strange but not uncommon for Stephen King. The film version definitely takes inspiration from the Native American motif and gives us a version that is at least more reminiscent of the source material.

It’s Mummy Form

Though a brief transformation seen in both final battles with the monster, Pennywise taking the form of an undead mummy is something that was indeed in the book but also possibly referencing multiple scenes at the same time. Although both versions of the clown have no shortage of freaky forms, the book’s version uses more classic monsters.

The Mummy, the Wolf Man, and even the Creature from the Black Lagoon, all make appearances in the original text thanks to our favorite interdimensional clown demon. Though the monsters are a bit of a cliche nowadays, it’s still cool to have classic horror icons referenced by the persona of horror itself.

The Vision Quest

Though drastically different in the book, Pennywise’s backstory is revealed through a vision quest brought on by a tribal ritual. In the book, all of the Losers participate in a sweat-lodge type of ceremony to bring forth a vision about how to destroy the monster. Not present in the miniseries, but the film gives it a unique twist.

Instead of having them all do it as children, the film brings it in through the root Mike puts in Bill’s drinking glass to show him the Ritual of Chud and the creature’s origins. Not 100% accurate, but fans of the book will definitely recognize the sequence.

Georgie’s Death

Easily the most iconic scene in either of the films has to be the opening scene involving cute little Georgie Denbrough and a certain demonic entity living in the storm drain. The scene where Georgie gets his arm literally gnawed off by Pennywise is just as graphic and gory in the novel as he is in the movie.

The novel is perhaps one of Stephen King’s most graphic and detailed works, and the film does it way more than justice. We’re actually surprised that it made it to the big-screen adaptation, but we couldn’t be more thrilled… or more chilled, for that matter.

Paul Bunyan

Yet another detail all King readers would have noticed from the book is the Paul Bunyan statue in the middle of the park in Derry. In the book, It possesses the statue and wreaks a little havoc, but it’s definitely not as over the top as the movie’s version.

That being said, it’s details like these that really bring the page to the screen. The sequence in the book is incredibly unsettling, though Paul Bunyan doesn’t reach Kaiju proportions. It just feels like the filmmakers really did their homework on this one, so here it is on our list.

Bill’s Bike Beats the Devil

There are nods to the book… then there’s literally taking a chapter from the book and gluing it in the script. They even went as far as including Stephen King himself in the scene. The sequence where Bill buys his old bicycle back from the antique dealer is a sort of mashup of chapters with dialogue directly from the novel.

Riding the bike down the street screaming “Heigh-ho, Silver” and claiming it was so fast it beat the devil are instances that directly address the source material nearly to the letter. No wonder King let himself be cameoed for this film.

Bowers’s Brutality

One of the most realistic and evil characters in the entire novel has to be Henry Bowers. Bowers is definitely more sadistic than your typical movie bully, which in a way makes him more realistic and identifiable. The miniseries version was a greaser-inspired stereotype, but the film’s version is incredibly intense.

From carving his initials into Ben’s flesh to straight-up murdering his father, it’s clear that Bowers is more than just a bully, but a malicious entity just like a certain red-nosed demon. The book depicts other acts of brutality such as poisoning Mike’s dog and assaulting Beverly, but the film makes him just sadistic enough without going too overboard.

The Turtle

In the book, Maturin is a mystical cosmic turtle that created the universe, similar to Atuin in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, who gives Bill the secret to defeating It. He doesn’t make a physical appearance in the film, but his presence is all around the cast. It’s the book lovers among us who were able to catch him, though.

There are a handful of turtles scattered about the films. From a small, Lego structure to a model in a science classroom, Maturin’s influence can be seen around the Losers throughout their journey. Though his involvement would definitely be difficult to present on film, we’re very happy he made it in at least in some way.