Moviefone Editorial

Tag: pennywise

  • TV Review: ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’

    Bill Skarsgård in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
    Bill Skarsgård in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.

    Arriving on HBO Max on October 22 with its first episode is ‘IT: Welcome to Derry,’ which turns the clock back to 1962 so as to explore more of the dark history of the titular town and the equally titular presence, who feeds on fear and terrorizes the locals.

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    Developed for television by ‘IT’ filmmakers Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti and Jason Fuchs (‘Wonder Woman’), the show stars Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Blake Cameron James and Chris Chalk, with Bill Skarsgård reprising his role as the fearsome Pennywise.

    Related Article: Bill Skarsgård will Return as Pennywise for the ‘It’ TV Prequel

    Initial Thoughts

    (L to R): Mikkal Karim-Fidler, Clara Stack and Jack Molloy Legault in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
    (L to R): Mikkal Karim-Fidler, Clara Stack and Jack Molloy Legault
    in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.

    While prequels have been around for years, it feels like we’ve been besieged by them in recent years, especially as studios and TV networks seek to find new ways to explore established franchises.

    It’s a tough tightrope to walk –– audiences can tire of learning too much about certain characters (‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ is an example), while lazy storytelling can creep in. But refreshingly, ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ is a worthwhile addition to the canon of a story that began with Stephen King’s 1986 novel and has been most famously adapted into two big screen outings.

    Script and Direction

    Chris Chalk in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
    Chris Chalk in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.

    ‘Welcome to Derry’, thanks to the presence of some of the filmmaking team, faithfully connects to the movies without too many overt references. The show’s plotline and characters are smartly drawn, offering layered approaches to a variety of stories, not the least of which is Taylour Paige and Jovan Adepo as Charlotte and Leroy Hanlon, the latter of whom links the townsfolk with the nearby army base and the military’s attempts to learn more about its dark secret.

    Andy Muschietti, who directed both the more recent movies, gives the show its own signature blend of everyday life and gory, bone-chilling scares.

    Cast and Performances

    Taylour Paige in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
    Taylour Paige in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.

    It’s kudos to both the creators and the rest of the cast that the series doesn’t lean on Skarsgård’s creep-tastic Pennywise to generate its scares, at least not in his actual clown form. Paige and Adepo are both great, but the real winners are among the younger cast (including Amanda Christine and Clara Stack, who offer naturalistic work in the face of some truly terrifying set pieces.

    Final Thoughts

    Blake Cameron James in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
    Blake Cameron James in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.

    ‘Welcome to Derry’ proves to be that rare prequel that works to enhance what has gone before, and finds interesting angles to peek into beyond even Stephen King’s source work.

    Kicking off just before Halloween, it’s ideal creepy viewing for a fall evening.

    ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ receives 82 out of 100.

    Kimberly Guerrero in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
    Kimberly Guerrero in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.

    What’s the plot of ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’?

    The show is set in 1962, 27 years before the events of ‘IT: Chapter One’ (which updated the book’s 1957 setting to 1988). The show dives into the lore of Pennywise and the town’s horrific history, drawing heavily from the “interludes” in King’s original novel — the eerie flashbacks and historical tragedies Mike Hanlon researched as an adult.

    Who stars in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’?

    • Taylour Paige as Charlotte Hanlon
    • Jovan Adepo as Leroy Hanlon
    • Blake Cameron James as Will Hanlon
    • Chris Chalk as Dick Hallorann
    • James Remar as General Shaw
    • Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise the Clown
    (L to R): Clara Stack, Amanda Christine in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
    (L to R): Clara Stack, Amanda Christine in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.

    Other Movies and TV Shows in the ‘It’ Franchise:

    Buy ‘It’ Movies On Amazon

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  • Bill Skarsgård to Play Pennywise for ‘It’ TV Prequel

    Bill Skarsgård in 2017's 'It'.
    Bill Skarsgård in 2017’s ‘It’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Preview:

    • Bill Skarsgård is slapping on his Pennywise make-up again.
    • He’ll appear in the ‘It’ prequel series on Max.
    • Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo and Chris Chalk are among the cast.

    Given the success of the two ‘It’ movie adaptations, it was somehow inevitable that the story would continue somehow. And indeed, a TV prequel –– with the working title of ‘Welcome to Derry’, after the town in the movies and Stephen King’s book –– was announced as in the works last year.

    And now a key element of the movie is returning, as Bill Skarsgård is ready to head to clown town again, reprising his role as demonic entity Pennywise.

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    What’s the story of the ‘It’ prequel?

    Bill Skarsgård in 2017's 'It'.
    Bill Skarsgård in 2017’s ‘It’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    ‘Welcome to Derry’, or whatever it ends up being titled, is also based on King’s ‘It’ book, with the movies’ director Andy Muschietti working with producer/sister Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs (who revised the ‘It: Chapter Two’ script and was a co-producer on that movie) to devise a new story that takes place before the events of the movies. Brad Kane and Fuchs are running the show, and the cameras have been rolling since April.

    Andy Muschietti is directing four episodes of a planned nine-episode season.

    How Pennywise fits into the story remains to be seen, but we predict he’ll be up to his old tricks terrifying (and killing) people.

    Who is in the ‘It’ prequel series?

    Jovan Adepo plays Sidney Palmer in 'Babylon' from Paramount Pictures.
    Jovan Adepo plays Sidney Palmer in ‘Babylon’ from Paramount Pictures.

    The cast for the series already includes Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, and James Remar. And while Skarsgård previously indicated he wasn’t sure if he’d be involved with the series, it sounds like he was just waiting for a deal to be locked in.

    What has Skarsgård been saying about his prior Pennywise experience?

    Bill Skarsgård stars in 'John Wick: Chapter 4.'
    Bill Skarsgård stars in ‘John Wick: Chapter 4.’

    The actor has been talking recently about an uncomfortable early experience with the role of Pennywise, revealing that he wasn’t sure about Warner Bros.’ idea to showcase his look as the character a year before the first movie itself arrived.

    Here’s what he told Esquire:

    “When you are 26, you don’t feel young at all, but now, looking back at it, I was a kid. [The studio] did a thing that I felt was kind of mean. It was fairly early on in my career to take on something that had so many eyeballs and expectations on it. I was so incredibly nervous to start this job, and then the Internet is having so many hateful opinions on the weird, strange look of the thing.”

    Related Article: Bill Skarsgård Talks ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ and Working with Keanu Reeves

    When will the ‘It’ prequel series be on screens?

    While HBO/Max haven’t confirmed an exact launch date for the series, it should be on TV in 2025 (surely nearer Halloween since that feels like the right time for an ‘It’ project).

    Bill Skarsgård in 2017's 'It'.
    Bill Skarsgård in 2017’s ‘It’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Other Movies and TV Shows in the ‘It’ Franchise:

    Buy ‘It’ Movies On Amazon

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  • ‘Gotham’ Creator Making ‘Pennyworth’ Series About Alfred For Epix

    The butler did it — he’s getting his own show!

    Epix has ordered 10 episodes of “Pennyworth,” an origin story about Alfred Pennyworth, loyal butler to Bruce Wayne/Batman. The series comes from “Gotham” creator Bruno Heller, but will not be a spinoff or related to the Fox drama. Sean Pertwee, who plays Alfred on “Gotham,” will not be taking on the role.

    Instead, “Pennyworth” follows Alfred as a younger man, when he’s a former British SAS soldier who forms a secret company and goes to work with Thomas Wayne — Bruce’s billionaire father — in 1960s London.

    It joins Epix’s other scripted series, including the recently-ordered “Godfather of Harlem” starring Forest Whitaker, the drama “Berlin Station,” and the comedy “Get Shorty.”

    “Gotham” was renewed by Fox for a fifth and final season and will finally turn the young Bruce into the Caped Crusader.

  • LeBron James’ Pennywise ‘It’ Costume Makes Him King of Halloween

    Cleveland Cavaliers v Brooklyn NetsAll hail LeBron James, king of basketball and Halloween.

    Celebrities love dressing up for the holiday. Gwyneth Paltrow spoiled her character’s fate in “Se7en,” while Kristen Bell was forced by her daughter to be Elsa from “Frozen.” Bruce Willis embodied one of the twins from “The Shining.”

    But James may take the Halloween cake with his costume, as Pennywise the Clown from “It”:

    Georgie!! Georgie!! #HappyHalloweenFolks ????????

    A post shared by LeBron James (@kingjames) on

    Pennywise will likely be a popular costume this year, after the runaway success of the horror movie. But the NBA star eerily looks like a clone of star Bill Skarsgard. He even has the balloons!

    James wore the outfit at a Halloween party he hosted for his fellow Cleveland Cavaliers. He wasn’t the only one rocking a great pop culture costume. Here’s Tristan Thompson and Khloe Kardashian as Khal Drogo and Daenerys Targaryen from “Game of Thrones”:

  • A Photographer Pranked His Sister by Putting Pennywise in Her Engagement Photos

    It’s not quite as cool as having Bill Murray randomly crash your shoot, but one couple recently had another unexpected pop culture guest pop up in their engagement photos: Pennywise, the evil clown from “It.”

    According to Twitter user Jesse McLaren, a self-described humorist and a writer for BuzzFeed, his sister asked him to take some pictures of her and her fiance for an engagement shoot. Naturally, as any brother is wont to do, he couldn’t help but mess with his sibling a bit, and decided to edit an image of Pennywise — both Tim Curry‘s version from the 1990 miniseries, and Bill Skarsgard’s recent portrayal in September’s big screen adaptation — into every photo.

    “Countdown until she notices,” McLaren wrote on Twitter, where he shared four of the silly snaps.

    While some of the Pennywises weren’t exactly super well-hidden (the first two images in particular make it seem pretty obvious that there’s an uninvited guest in the picture), we have to give McLaren props for his work inserting the evil being into the shadows of the last photo. The prankster later shared the update that his sister caught on to the ruse pretty quickly, though her response to the joke was similarly amusing.

    She found him

    A post shared by McJesse (@larenmcjesse) on

    “On one hand, I really hope that you get the help that you need,” the bride-to-be wrote in a text message. “On the other…I totally want to use these.”

    Fingers crossed that McLaren’s sister actually goes through with it. Maybe she and her fiance can have a horror-themed wedding around Halloween 2018?

    [via: Jess McLaren/Twitter]

  • Pennywise Is Now Dancing to ‘Shake It Off’ and Doing the Macarena

    Besides terrifying children and dating the Babadook, evil “It” clown Pennywise also enjoys dancing, as it turns out.

    A new twitter account features videos of the clown dancing to “Shake It Off,” Village People classic “YMCA,” and Outkast’s “Hey Ya.” And doing the Macarena.

    Okay, it’s a just the same brief scene of Pennywise doing an ominous jig set to various songs, but it will still probably make you smile. The most apt is probably Marilyn Manson‘s “Beautiful People,” but that’s just not as funny, is it?

    The account even did a “Mambo No. 5” version after “It” author Stephen King joked that’s the song he wants to listen to for the rest of his life.

    [Via EW]

  • Exclusive: ‘It’ Director Confirms Sequel Will Bring Back the Losers’ Club

    The filmmakers behind Stephen King’s “It” wisely chose to focus on the kids/”Losers’ Club” for the first half of their highly-anticipated adaptation, with the sequel centering on the adults.

    So how does director Andy Muschietti plan on bringing the kids back for “Chapter Two”?

    “Flashbacks,” said the director in an exclusive interview with Moviefone. While some fans, trades, and sites have posited rumors about this being the plan, we can confirm that — if Muschietti’s vision for the sequel comes to pass — Bill, Bev, and the rest of the Losers’ Club will appear in more than a cameo capacity. In fact, that’s the only way Muschietti would want to do it.

    “I obviously related to the kids. [Their] story obviously means a lot to me… and it wouldn’t feel right to continue or complete this story without involving them or going back and, you know, revisiting them somehow.”

    Muscheitti stressed, at the time of our interview, that the studio and filmmakers are just in the early “talking” stages of sequel plans. And should those plans move forward as expected, it is safe to assume that fans can expect new scenes filmed with the kids — hopefully ones that bride the gap between their last encounter with Pennywise when they were kids with their newest one as adults.

    The “It” sequel has no release date yet, but look for the film to hit theaters (at the earliest) in 2019.

  • Stephen King Put a Red Balloon in His Window in Honor of ‘It’

    Stephen King is either really excited about the upcoming big screen adaptation of his classic horror novel “It,” or he’s trying to tell fans that he’s actually Pennywise the evil clown in disguise. Either way, the author recently put a red balloon in the window of his house, and fans and local media couldn’t help but notice the significant decorating choice.

    Several news outlets reported this week that King had quietly stuck a crimson-colored balloon in one of the front windows of his Bangor, Maine home, just over a week before the release of “It.” In King’s 1986 book, the seemingly innocent decoration is actually a calling card of the monstrous Pennywise — a killer clown with a particular appetite for kids — and naturally, is a chill-inducing sight for those familiar with the iconography.

    King’s decision to prominently display the balloon is likely nothing more than the writer’s own form of viral marketing. But maybe small children should stay away from his house for the time being, just in case. We’re not saying Stephen King is secretly an evil clown — but we’re not not saying it, either.

    “It” is due in theaters on September 8.

    [via: Bangor Daily News, WMTW-TV]

  • Real Clowns Claim ‘It’ and Pennywise Are Hurting Business

    As the much-anticipated big screen adaptation of Stephen King horror classic “It” — featuring terrifying clown/monster Pennywise — prepares to hit theaters this weekend, real life clowns are once again bracing for a public backlash. And according to one clowning official (yes, that’s a real thing), it’s causing many professionals to lose business.

    In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Pam Moody, the president of the World Clown Association (WCA for short), said she’s had members report having shows at schools and libraries suddenly canceled in recent months. And that’s thanks to “It” and Pennywise, Moody says, noting that King’s 1986 novel and its 1990 ABC miniseries launched a wave of coulrophobia — a.k.a. fear of clowns — from which the WCA has yet to truly recover.

    Last year’s wave of creepy clown sightings, featuring pranksters in cheap Halloween masks — some of them wielding weapons — lurking in neighborhoods throughout the country, didn’t help matters either, Moody told THR. The “blindsided” organization wrote a guide for its members, timed to the release of “It,” in response.

    Per THR:

    That guide, “WCA Stand on Scary Clowns !!,” reminds the WCA membership that the “art of clown is something to be treasured and enjoyed” and that “just because someone wears a rubber Halloween mask, that does not make one a clown!” It also recommends “that young children not be exposed to horror movies” such as It.

    As for this latest onscreen version of Pennywise, Moody wants the public to know that he doesn’t represent clowns at all.

    “It’s a science-fiction character,” she told THR. “It’s not a clown and has nothing to do with pro clowning.”

    “It” — which is poised to break box office records — is due in theaters this Friday.

    [via: The Hollywood Reporter]

  • Join Moviefone for a Special Screening of Stephen King’s ‘It’

    Hey, Los Angeles and New York City — do you want to see the highly-anticipated horror movie “It” early? For free? Well, it’s your lucky day.

    Moviefone and Warner Bros. are giving fans a chance to see Pennywise unleash six different flavors of scary on Monday, August 28 at 7 p.m. local time. RSVP here if you’re in Los Angeles, and here if you’re in New York City.

    And if you’re in Los Angeles, you’ll get a special in-person introduction from the film’s director, Andrés Muschietti.

    Lucky attendees in both cities will get the full “It” experience prior to the screenings as well, as we have a few fun (read: terrifying) surprises in store. What are they? Well, you’ll just have to “float” (sorry not sorry) on down to find out.

    Don’t miss out, RSVP now!

    “It” hits theaters nationwide on Sept. 8.