On Tuesday, Deadline reported that actors French-Canadian actor and director Xavier Dolan and Taylor Frey have been cast in the roles of gay Derry residents Adrian Mellon and Don Haggerty. Both the characters were left out of the 1990 mini-series.

In the book, Don and Adrian are supporting characters who experience homophobia and hate crimes in thier own respectively tragic storylines, which set off the events of the second part of It and this is what brings the Losers Club back to Derry.

SPOILER AHEAD:

Adrian grows fond of the town of Derry despite it’s violent homophobic attitude and only agrees to leave because of Don. Before leaving, the two attend the town fair and on the way home, they are attacked by 3 homophobic teens, Webby Garton, Steven Bishoff Dubay and Chris Unwin. After the teens throw Adrian over a bridge, they continue beating up Don, Officer Andrew Redemacher arrives to stop the fight.  Pennywise  meanwhile drags Adrian out of the water, bites into his armpit and cracks his ribs. Though Don and Chris witness this, nobody mentions Pennywise at the trial.

After Adrian’s body was found, he was buried in the Derry Cemetery.

Andy Muschietti returns to direct the sequel, which features the adult version of Losers’ Club members who survived the malevolent Pennywise, which Bill Skarsgard will once again portray. James McAvoy plays Bill, Bill Hader is Richie, Jessica Chastain is Beverly, James Ransone is Eddie, Andy Bean is Stanley, Jay Ryan is Ben and Isaiah Mustafa is Mike.

Production on the sequel, It: Chapter Two, is currently underway.