Horror fans following the evolution of the remake of Stephen King’s iconic It can celebrate another milestone in the journey of the long-awaited film. Today, EW finally revealed the first image of the re-imagined Pennywise the Clown (slated to be played by Bill Skarsgard), and the iconic clown definitely got some tweaking. Fortunately, he still looks just as creepy and evil as the original Pennywise, played in the original adaptation of Stephen King’s novel by the incomparable Tim Curry.
Followers of the Stephen King’s It remake buzz already know that this is something that has been being teased for a while. Fans have been sucker-punched with fake (or premature) imagery of the new Pennywise in recent months. Folks have taken to social media to share their own renditions of the remake of the It villain. Director Andy Muschietti even shared a drawing of his own, reports Bloody Disgusting.
Unfortunately, It remake followers haven’t been satisfied by these hoax clowns. They’ve wanted a glimpse of the real deal. Now (and not a moment too soon) they’ve finally gotten it.
Check him out. The official new Pennywise the Clown, fresh from the remake (in progress) of Stephen King’s It.
Skarsgard, It’s new Pennywise, gave an interview about his new role in Stephen King’s It, and he didn’t hold back. According to the actor, brother of Tarzan’s Alexander Skarsgard, his role in the remake of Stephen King’s iconic It is very dark. He calls Pennywise “extreme,” and lets it spill that while he’s often referred to as “Pennywise the Clown,” Stephen King’s title character is so, so much more than that.
“It’s such an extreme character. Inhumane. It’s beyond even a sociopath, because he’s not even human. He’s not even a clown. I’m playing just one of the beings It creates.”
Skarsgard goes on to say that when revamped antagonist of Stephen King’s It was created, the film’s production crew deliberately steered away from the “greasy clown look” to create something more unique, something darker, and something that may end up being just as iconic as the original.
“It’s important that we do something fresh and original for this one. It’s purposely not going toward that weird, greasy look.”
As EW reports, many people getting their first look at the new Pennywise, a character that will be prominently (and creepily) featured in the upcoming remake of Stephen King’s It suffer from a bit of Coulrophobia. Even if you don’t know what that word means, there’s a good chance you are feeling its effects (if not a lot then probably just a little) at this very moment. It means the “unreasonable” fear of clowns.
Of course, when you’re talking about fearing Pennywise, you’re not being unreasonable. And you do not really fear a clown because Pennywise isn’t a clown. He is the stuff nightmares are made of.
There have been a lot of rumors and speculation surrounding the upcoming remake of Stephen King’s It. The book was adapted for the screen before in the 1980s, but last time around, it went straight to TV in the form of a miniseries. As a result, many of the book’s darker (and more controversial) themes had to be omitted. This time around, the flick is expected to be a two-part feature film that will be widely released in movie theaters, and it could even touch on some of the darkest story lines Stephen King’s original novel had to offer its traumatized readers.
The remake of Stephen King’s It (at least the first half) is expected to hit theaters on September 8, 2017.
For those unfamiliar with the dark tale, it is centered around the nightmarish childhood of a group of pre-teens haunted by a mysterious, evil creature that often dons the guise of a demonic-looking clown, as well as the horrifying lengths the kids must go to in order to escape It’s clutches. The story then fast-forwards to their middle-aged years, when It returns with a vengeance.
Bill Skarsgard had some insight into the mind of Pennywise during a recent interview.
“It truly enjoys the shape of the clown Pennywise, and enjoys the game and the hunt. What’s funny to this evil entity might not be funny to everyone else. But he thinks it’s funny.”
What do you think? Does this re-imagined version of Pennywise the Clown do the original justice? Do you think the forthcoming Stephen King’s It remake will live up to the hype?
[Image by Warner Bros. Television]