Stephen King 'was not prepared' for how good the 'It' movie is

Warner Bros.

Horror master Stephen King has seen the new "It" movie twice already and says he was "not prepared" for how good it really was, which is a scary good sign for horror-flick fans when the movie is released in theaters next week.

The big-screen adaptation of King's novel of the same name starring Jaeden Lieberher, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Wyatt Oleff, Chosen Jacobs, Jack Dylan Grazer, Nicholas Hamilton, Jackson Robert Scott, and Bill Skarsgård as the infamous Pennywise the Dancing Clown has already received early praise from those lucky enough to catch an early look at the clown — setting up "It" to be a huge box-office and critical success.

In a new video interview found on Bloody Disgusting, King talks about his reaction to seeing the movie for the first time, his thoughts on Skarsgård’s portrayal of Pennywise, and whether he thinks his fans will enjoy the movie.

King said he was actually surprised about just how good "It" really was, which isn't surprising considering that responses to King's adaptations have varied from positive (think "The Shining") to negative (think "The Dark Tower").

Here are King's thoughts on the film:

"I had hopes, but I was not prepared for how good it really was. It's something that's different, and at the same time, it's something that audiences are gonna relate to. They're gonna like the characters. To me, it's all about character. If you like the characters … if you care … the scares generally work."

"I'm sure my fans will enjoy the movie. I think they're gonna really enjoy the movie. And I think some of them will go back two or three times and actually savor the thing. I went back and saw it a second time, and I felt I was seeing things the second time through that I missed the first time."

King also commented and praised director Andy Muschietti and Skarsgård for their work on and in the film, respectively. It's no surprise that King had high hopes for Muschietti, his 2013 horror film "Mama" was a beautifully crafted horror film that was a breath of fresh air for the genre. Skarsgård, who is no stranger to the supernatural and is known for playing Roman Godfrey in Netflix's "Hemlock Grove," has received some pretty good feedback for his portrayal as the terrifying Pennywise.

Here is what King had to say about Muschietti and Skarsgård:

"Let's just say I had strong hopes for the movie, because I knew Andy's work from 'Mama,' and I thought he was a really, really talented director. And I also loved the idea of concentrating on the kids' half of the story.

"Skarsgard was great as Pennywise, and he's got big shoes to fill. Let's face it. Because people remember Tim Curry as Pennywise the Clown, and they remember the look that Pennywise had."

Based on what King has to say about the movie, it looks as if we are in for plenty of scares this Halloween season when "It" arrives at the box office.

NOW WATCH: Here’s how to tell if the solar eclipse ruined your vision