It: Chapter Two continues the story that began in Chapter One. The movies are based on the classic horror novel by Stephen King. As the novel has a natural storyline split, the producers decided the best way to tell the story was in two separate movies.
Much like the first part, It: Chapter Two’s filming was also based in Toronto and Southern Ontario. Many of the same locations were used, but a number of new locations were also introduced.
Port Hope
This sequel returns to the small Ontario town of Port Hope, which depicts Derry, Maine. We see a lot of the same locations, as much of the action in both movies takes place in Derry. The filming focused on Walton and Queen Streets.
Carnival
As the movie opens, we see a Carnival happening in Derry. This was set up at the corner of Robertson and Queen Streets, in a large parking lot area.
The Bridge Murder
Just across the street is a bridge crossing the Ganaraska River. This is where a gay couple is attacked by a homophobic group of kids.
After the couple is left battered, Pennywise appears and kills one of them in the water below the bridge.
Pinewood Studios
In a brief scene, we see horror writer Bill leaving a soundstage on a film studio. Despite a large Warner Bros. logo on the side of the building, this was actually filmed at Pinewood Studios in Toronto, not one of Warner Bros. facilities. Pinewood Studios was home to filming both It movies, so it made sense to use this location instead.
Driving Through NYC
When we see Eddie driving through New York City, these scenes were actually shot in downtown Toronto. Most of this was filmed along University Ave, near Adelaide Street. You can see some distinctively Canadian giveaways in the background, such as a Rogers Store and a Bell phone booth.
The Comedy Theatre
Richie performs stand up comedy at a theatre before the group reassembles. These scenes were filmed at the Elgin Theatre in downtown Toronto. The theatre is located on Yonge Street in downtown Toronto, and, along with the upstairs Winter Garden Theatre, are the the only Edwardian stacked theatres left in the world. The Elgin also appeared in the movies Camilla and The Shape of Water.
The Jade of the Orient
As the group gets back together, they meet at the Jade of the Orient, a Chinese restaurant, to discuss what’s been happening. The production used the Mississauga location of Mandarin, a chain of large Chinese buffet restaurants in Canada.
When I visited, I took some photos outside, but decided to go in and ask about the movie. The manager was very nice, told me about when it was filmed, and showed me the section of the restaurant that was used. Fortunately there were no diners at that time, so I was able to get some clear pictures of the room. The set team did add some decorations to enhance the look, but the large fish tank is an actual feature in the dining room.
The Baseball Park
Pennywise finds his next victim at a ball park during a baseball game. The young girl walks down under the bleachers where she meets the evil clown. The production used the Audley Recreation Centre in Ajax, Ontario. There are six baseball diamonds here, and these scenes were filmed at Diamond 5. When I visited, there were some bleachers set up around that diamond, but they appeared different from what was in the movie. It’s likely the production built there own, as they needed to do specific filming underneath, thus needing space for cameras, lighting, etc.
On my trip to visit the It filming locations, I visited these ball diamonds. And yet when I went to put this article together, I couldn’t find my photos from that area. I checked my external hard drive and my cloud folders, but no luck. I will keep searching and hopefully be able to share those pictures in the future.
Derry House
The story moves to Derry house, where the various adult characters meet up. The exteriors were filmed at the Hotel Carlyle in Port Hope.
For interiors, the production used the Scottish Rite Club in Hamilton, Ontario. When I visited, the building was locked up and I wasn’t able to go inside. But I did snap some photos of the outside of the building.
The Capitol Theatre
Back in Port Hope, the Capitol Theatre is featured in It: Chapter Two as an arcade. The lobby was set up with a series of pinball and arcade games for this purpose.
Port Hope Memorial Park
Also in Port Hope, there’s a scene where the Paul Bunyan statue comes alive and goes after adult Richie. These scenes were filmed in Memorial Park, with it’s recognizable bandshell stage seen in the background.
Second Hand Rose
As Bill walks down the street in Derry, he sees his old bike for sale in an antique store named Second Hand Rose. He goes in and has a lengthy discussion with the shop owner, who was played by the author himself, Stephen King. The shop was filmed at 45 Walton Street in Port Hope.
Dean’s House
Poor poor Dean, he just couldn’t catch a break! After a brief appearance at the Jade of the Orient, we see him leaving his house. The house is located in Toronto at 124 Queens Drive.
Storm Drain
Dean then encounters Bill by the storm drain. This is the same drain where Bill had a run-in with Pennywise as a child. The storm drain was fake, and it was created along Springmount Avenue, near where it ends at William Street. When the production ended, they didn’t properly repair the curb, and it still sits in shambles.
Derry High School
Scenes in It: Chapter Two taking place at Derry High School were filmed in Ancaster, Ontario. The production used the Mount Mary Retreat Centre at 437 Wilson St E. I wasn’t able to get access when I went by, so unfortunately I don’t currently have any photos.
Derry City Hall
To depict Derry’s city hall, they turned to The Municipality of Port Hope building on Queen Street. The production replaced the Canadian flag with the American one at the top of the tower.
The Abandoned House
For the climax of the story, the action returns to the dilapidated old house where the characters confront Pennywise. Like the first movie, the house was erected on a vacant lot in Oshawa, Ontario. The production just built the front facade and roof, as the interiors for It: Chapter Two were all filmed on a soundstage at Pinewood Studios.
