You don’t get much more iconic than Pennywise when it comes to Stephen King characters. Following the fright-filled films IT: Chapter One and Chapter Two, Pennywise is back for the HBO prequel series “IT: Welcome to Derry.”
The masterminds behind the record-breaking IT films, Andy and Barbara Muschietti, are set to unleash Pennywise’s terror once more. The duo, renowned for blending chilling atmosphere with genuine emotional resonance, will return to expand the It universe, promising a fresh chapter of fear that honors the terrifying legacy they’ve already built.
The series, whose first look we shared in August, takes viewers back to Derry, Maine, 27 years before the events of IT: Chapter One, in 1962. Bill Skarsgård, who gave a chilling performance in the films, returns to play the nightmare-inducing entity. He’s gone on to tease aspects of the character.
“It was fun. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would … and there are parts of it where we got to explore sides of Pennywise that we haven’t seen … there’s some cool stuff in there … I’m excited for people to watch”
The star had this to say about returning as the character for the series.
“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.”
Transforming into Pennywise seems easy for the Nosferatu actor as if Pennywise has become part of him.
“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.”
Skarsgård has teased that “IT: Welcome to Derry” will expand on the lore surrounding Pennywise and the town where he’s made his home.
“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.”
Bill Skarsgård doesn’t just play monsters; he crawls into their skin and brings them to life. He recently took on the mantle of Count Orlok in Nosferatu, solidifying his reputation for delivering performances that burrow under your skin and linger long after the credits roll. In fact, Nosferatu (review), from director Robert Eggers, took the number one spot on our Best Movies of 2024 list.
Skarsgård isn’t the only talented actor who will star in the series. He’s joined by Alixandra Fuchs, Kimberly Guerrero, Dorian Grey, Thomas Mitchell, BJ Harrison, Peter Outerbridge, and Shane Marriott. Chad Rook, Joshua Odjick, and Morningstar Angeline also star. Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Madeleine Stowe, and Stephen Rider round out the cast.
With a nine-episode order, “IT: Welcome to Derry” is slated for a 2025 release on HBO. It promises to be a chilling exploration of the sinister forces that have plagued Derry for generations.
This ain’t America. This is Derry.
The @HBO Original Series #ItWelcomeToDerry is coming soon to Max. pic.twitter.com/4yO3tSGyUA
— Max (@StreamOnMax) August 5, 2024
