The term "development hell" is thrown around a lot about projects in Hollywood that get stuck in some stage of the process that prevents an actual movie from getting made for a very long time. This seemed to be the case with Stephen King's IT. But the movie actually got filmed this year under the direction of Mama helmer Andres Muschietti. IT isn't scheduled to hit theaters until September of 2017, but apparently, the movie is ready to go. At least an initial cut, because a public screening is happening next week.

A company by the name of 1 iota recently posted an update to their website offering fans in the Burbank, California area free tickets to an advanced screening of IT. They are specifically looking for 18 to 49-year-olds who want to see the movie and offer their thoughts. So, if you live in the Burbank area and want to see the movie early, head to the site and scoop up your tickets. The screening is set to take place at 3 p.m. on December 15, nearly nine full months before the scheduled release of the actual movie to the public. The site also provided a brief synopsis, which shouldn't come as any surprise to those familiar with the Stephen King book or the original live-action IT from the 90s.

"Based on Stephen King's best-selling novel. A group of young kids face their biggest fears when they seek answers to the disappearance of children in their hometown of Derry, Maine. They square off against an evil clown named Pennywise, whose history of murder and violence dates back for centuries."

It is fairly common practice for studios to hold advanced screenings for select groups of people to give their opinion on a movie so that they can gauge public opinion and make changes if necessary. This is pretty early though, so is it possible we could be seeing the IT remake get its release date bumped up? Assuming this advanced screening goes well, that is not at all out of the realm of possibility, but don't count on it. That said, the movie wrapped production in late September and the post-production process must have gone well for them to be able to present a finished cut to the public already. Assuming the studio likes the results, they may want to cash in sooner rather than later.

Stephen King's novel was previously adapted into a 1990 TV miniseries of the same name, where Tim Curry played Pennywise. This new IT adaptation will reportedly be split into two movies, just as the miniseries was split into two parts, with the first centering on a group of children known as The Losers Club, who must fight off this evil spirit known as IT. The second movie will bring these characters back together as adults, as they must stop IT once and for all. It has been stated that it will be a "fresh" take on the material.

Don't expect to see a lot of public reaction after this screening. Most of the time, attendees at these screenings have to sign a waiver saying they won't discuss details of the movie afterward, so we still may have to wait a while to hear what people think of this new take. Bill Skarsgard leads the cast of Stephen King's IT as Pennywise the clown, which fans were very enthusiastic about it after getting a look at him in some photos that were released online. The cast also includes Jaden Lieberher, Finn Wolfhard, Jack Dylan Grazer, Wyatt Oleff, Chosen Jacobs and Jeremy Ray Taylor as members of the Losers Club, with Owen Teague playing Billy, a psychotic bully who torments this group. IT is currently set for release on September 8, 2017.