Bill Skarsgård was already making a name for himself in Hollywood by the time he played Pennywise in the two-part remake of Stephen King’s It in 2017, and Chapter Two in 2019. Now he is set to return to the franchise with the TV spin-off, It: Welcome to Derry. Skarsgård will play the ghostly clown again when the series debuts exclusively on HBO and Max sometime in 2025, and he’s already teasing the return of one of Stephen King’s most important villains.
As reported by Games Radar, the actor spoke to SFX magazine about returning to Derry to breathe life into the monster once again. Wearing the Pennywise suit isn’t something new for the young actor with the creepiest smile there is, but he recalls the experience as “strange”:
“It was strange to be back. [Producers] Andy and Barbara Muschietti were doing the show, and I adore them. Most of the crew was the same people that did the movies. So it was this weird thing of going back to this gang of people that you created this thing with.
I don’t know why, but Pennywise is very accessible for me. So in terms of getting back into it, it was just like ‘Da da dah!’, and he explodes out. He’s so defined, he’s sort of dormant but very easily activated.
We explored things that we haven’t explored in the movies – particularly one side of it, which I can’t go into. I hope the fans are excited.”
It: Welcome to Derry will serve as a prequel to the modern It films directed by Andy Muschietti. The show will take viewers to the 1960s, where Pennywise is already an urban legend in Derry, and indulges in human flesh feasts every 27 years. Welcome to Derry will also provide an origin story of how Pennywise eventually turned into the entity that visits the town when it gets hungry.
The show will star Skarsgård as well as Jovan Adepo, James Remar, Taylour Paige, Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe, and Chris Chalk, among others. Showrunners include Barbara and Andy Muschietti and Jason Fuchs. For now, there are only a few details confirmed, but it will consist of nine episodes.
Which Pennywise is the Best Pennywise?
Stephen King’s original novel from 1986 may feel like a product of its time, and a bit outdated, but the author explores several universal themes that stand the passage of time. The characters are well-designed and, as usual, King adds enough layers so that those who brought it to the big and small screens have been able to make their changes without tampering with the nature of the original character. This includes, of course, Pennywise the Dancing Clown, the principal antagonist in both adaptations of the story.
Tim Curry’s performance of Pennywise in the 1990 miniseries was memorable, and without a doubt, it was the reason why we all became afraid of clowns. The circus-dwellers were creepy before, but after Curry gave life to Pennywise, we were sure there was something more evil behind the exaggerated smiles and makeup. It was hard to top, of course.
Related 10 Forms Pennywise Takes in the Book, but Not the Movies
Stephen King’s It takes on many different appearances in the book, but not all of these frightening forms were included in the movies.
Skarsgård’s work is solid as well. Stephen King fans seemed to approve of it from the moment he appeared in the sewer, minutes before eating George Denbrough’s arm. The character is cartoonish and wicked, and Muschietti allows him to perform before indulging in some CGI. Comparing him to Curry is not only unnecessary, but also unfair. The old Pennywise was the result of a thespian doing horror. The new one is the expansion of vivid nightmares inspired by Curry. However, there is clearly a place for both iterations in your nightmares.
Release Date 2025-00-00
Main Genre Horror
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