Pennywise the Dancing Clown (AKA The Eater of Worlds) is not your typical movie monster.
Unlike, say, Jason Voorhees or Freddy Krueger, Stephen King’s shapeshifting abomination is able to manifest itself in a variety of different forms based on its target of choice. With an insatiable appetite for children (frightened flesh tastes better, apparently), Pennywise often masquerades as a wisecracking circus clown to lure in his prey, while King’s demon also has an unnatural ability to morph into a person’s greatest fears and nightmares, which only has us all the more intrigued for New Line and Andy Muschietti’s imminent adaptation.
We are, at the time of writing, exactly one month out from heralding the release of It, and following up on this morning’s Empire reveal – wherein Bill Skarsgård voiced his desire to scare a “whole generation” with his “animalistic and instinctive” Pennywise – New Line has now conjured up the film’s latest banner image featuring the young Georgie coming face-to-face with Skarsgård’s ancient being.
By playing such an iconic role, one that originally belonged to Tim Curry, it should come as no surprise to learn that Bill Skarsgård is one of the biggest names lining It‘s casting docket, which also includes such up-and-comers as Bill Denbrough (Jaeden Lieberher), Ben Hanscom (Jeremy Ray Taylor), Stan Uris (Wyatt Oleff), Mike Hanlon (Chosen Jacobs), Eddie Kaspbrak (Jack Dylan Grazer) and Beverly Marsh (Sophia Lillis).
Hailing from some far-flung corner of space, the ancient being known as Pennywise is creeping ever closer, and we can hardly wait to see Skarsgård’s monster light up the big screen. September 8 is the date for your diaries, at which point we’ll be able to form a clearer picture of New Line’s tentative It sequel plans and the possibility of revisiting The Losers Clubs as adults.
Last but not least, don’t forget that the studio has partnered with Warner Bros. to screen a four-minute preview of the film in front of Annabelle: Creation this coming weekend.