Overview
- King’s stance traces to a 2013 Reddit Q&A where he said, “I don’t think I could bear to deal with Pennywise again. Too scary, even for me.”
- HBO’s IT: Welcome to Derry, a prequel set 27 years before the films that explores Pennywise’s origins, concluded its first season on December 14.
- It has spawned multiple adaptations, including a 1990 miniseries with Tim Curry and two films starring Bill Skarsgård, with the 2017 release becoming the highest-grossing horror movie per Variety.
- Tim Curry wrote in his 2025 memoir, Vagabond, that playing Pennywise was uncomfortable, noting he already had a fear of clowns when he accepted the role.
- Director Andy Muschietti has said in interviews that the series was conceived as a longer story, with the intention to complete it in three seasons.