Cary Fukunaga leaves Stephen King adaptation 'It'

New Line Cinema has indefinitely pushed back production on its adaptation of Stephen King’s It, a studio insider tells EW, and director Cary Fukunaga has left the project, according to his reps. Production was slated to begin in three weeks, but the script has not been finalized, and the budget number was not reached. The financial side was pegged as a primary source of contention between the studio and Fukunaga, while reported discord about shooting in New York was not a real issue, nor was Poltergeist‘s poor early showing, according to the source.

Fukunaga and Chase Palmer penned two scripts to cover King’s story over as many movies—one tracing the protagonists as kids, the other as adults—but the plan for making the work into two parts or one is still up in the air.

Will Poulter was added to the film earlier this month to play iconic clown Pennywise. He was a breakout performer in New Line comedy We’re The Millers, and though an unexpected choice, the studio embraced it.

If the adaptation is squashed, though, King still has a spot in his heart for the 1990 miniseries and its clown.

The Wrap first reported Fukunaga’s exit and the film’s delay.