Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Pennywise the Clown strikes a pose in new photo from Stephen King's 'It'

pennywise bill skarsgard stephen king it crop
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Principal photography on the upcoming, big-screen adaptation of Stephen King’s It has ended, but that hasn’t stopped some scary elements from emerging before the film hits theaters.

Makeup effects artist Tom Woodruff recently posted an image of actor Bill Skarsgard in full costume as Pennywise the Clown, the film’s nightmare-inducing antagonist who terrorizes a group of children in Derry, Maine. Famously (or perhaps infamously) played by Tim Curry in a 1990 television miniseries based on King’s novel, the character is widely regarded as one of the most iconic horror villains of the big or small screen.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOVva1MABdQ/

Recommended Videos

Directed by Mama filmmaker Andy Muschietti, Stephen King’s It follows a group of childhood friends as they are forced to overcome their fears in order to battle an evil creature tormenting their town’s youngest, most vulnerable inhabitants. Decades later, they find themselves brought together again when a murderer begins preying on the town’s children once again.

The story will be told in two feature-length films, with the first focusing on the younger versions of the characters and the second installment following the same characters as adults. While the original story penned by King had the kids battling Pennywise in the ’50s and then again as adults in the ’80s, the first film will be set in the ’80s and then the sequel will occur in the modern era.

Along with Skarsgård as Pennywise, the first of the two films also stars Jaeden Lieberher (Midnight Special), Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things), Sophia Lillis, Jack Dylan Grazer (Tales of Halloween), Wyatt Oleff (Guardians of the Galaxy), Chosen Jacobs (Hawaii Five-0), and Jeremy Ray Taylor (42) as the young friends brought together by the terrifying events unfolding in Derry.

Stephen King’s It – Part One is scheduled to hit theaters September 8.

Rick Marshall
A veteran journalist with more than two decades of experience covering local and national news, arts and entertainment, and…
This lost Stephen King movie is woefully underrated. Here’s why you should watch it for free
A cat person gets ready to attack in Sleepwalkers.

Sleepwalkers (1992) - Official Trailer (HD)

Have you ever watched a movie as a kid, thought it was the scariest thing you had ever seen at that point in your life, and then gone back after years (or, in some cases, decades) only to realize that movie was kind of tame, not all that scary, and even bad? I certainly have, (hello, Pumpkinhead), but there are also movies that somehow retain the power to creep you the hell out even though they really shouldn't.

Read more
The best performances in Stephen King movies, ranked
Jack Nicholson in "The Shining."

It's time for summer, which means more barbecues in the backyard, more people crowding the local swimming pool, and more trips to the movie theaters to catch the latest blockbuster. A new tradition for moviegoers has been watching scary movies during the hot weather months, with last year delivering the frightfully scary horror movie The Black Phone, among many others.

This year is no different, with The Boogeyman now scaring audiences in multiplexes across the nation. The horror movie, about two sisters being terrorized by an unseen menace in their spacious and creaky home, is just the latest in a long line of Stephen King adaptations. From 1976's Carrie to the It movies, these films have not only delivered thrills and chills, but also surprisingly good performances. From killer clowns to telekinetic teenagers, these performances are among the best ever in Stephen King's movies.
8. Tim Curry and Bill Skarsgård, It

Read more
Beyond Boogeyman: the 7 most underrated Stephen King movies and TV shows
Dan and Abra in "Doctor Sleep."

The literary works of Stephen King have led to countless adaptations for film and TV, so there were always bound to be a few that have been overlooked by the public. Though not all of them can be smash hits like Carrie or 2017's It, there are still some King-based projects that deserve more recognition from audiences, even if some of them don't stick to the source material.

The Boogeyman is the latest in a long line of King adaptations built to scare audiences. Whether or not you thought the book was better, these seven adaptations are still some of the most underrated projects based on King's substantial bibliography.
The Stand (2020)

Read more