Summary
After the success ofStephen King’sItmovies, HBO Max is making a prequel series, and star Bill Skarsgård recently shared some exciting details.It: Welcome to Derryis a fascinating and cool projectsince it’s set 27 years prior to the events of the two popular movies. Fans have been hoping to hear more about what they can expect since the project was greenlit in 2023.
In an interview withSFX Magazine, Skarsgård, who isplayingPennywise the Dancing Clown, said:
“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.”
The actor continued:
“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’s great to hear that the prequel series will cover different ground than the two movies.It: Welcome to Derryis set quite a few years beforeIt: Chapter OneandIt: Chapter Two.The show will take place in 1962, which will be interesting since fans will learn more about Pennywise’s background. Slasher killers wearing cloaks and masks may be horrifying and effective villains, but for many people, there will never be anything scarier than a clown with a strange grin on their face. That’s what makes Pennywise so unforgettable.
Skarsgård’s other notable roles include Mickey inVillains, Keith Toshko inthe 2022 horror movieBarbarian, the voice of Kro inEternals, and Roman Godfrey on the horror seriesHemlock Grove. He definitely has a knack for appearing in projects that explore fear-inducing subjects, and he has talked quite a lot about portraying Pennywise. In an interview withVanity Fair,the actor said hehad nightmares about King’s clown character. He said that in one dream, he was Pennywise himself, and in others, he was walking in his hometown. Many fans have been haunted by Pennywise for years. It sounds like the actor wasn’t immune to how eerie he is, either.
Although it’s tough to imagine any other actor taking on the creepy clown, Skarsgård wasn’t attached to the prequel series when it was first announced. According toEntertainment Weekly, he said in 2023 that he likes “how abstract” Pennywise is, and if another actor took it on, they should have a good time and “make it your own.“Skarsgård’s Pennywise delights in how much he can scare children, and the actor will definitely bring that same unique element toIt: Welcome to Derry.
According toThe Hollywood Reporter,the series will premiere in 2025. Next year will be a thrilling one for King fans sinceOsgood Perkins’The Monkeyis also being released.
