Tim Curry’s Pennywise the Clown was pretty frightening, but it’s fair to say that his colourful version of this iconic Stephen King creation pales in comparison to the new one (at least in terms of appearance). Below is Bill Skarsgård fully suited up in Andy Muschietti’s It reboot.
Janie Bryant (Deadwood) designed the costume which borrows elements from a number of eras as a way of emphasising just how ancient he is. “The costume definitely incorporates all these otherworldly past lives, if you will,” she says. “He is definitely a clown from a different time. There is almost a doll-like quality to the costume. The pants being short, the high waistline of the jacket, and the fit of the costume is a very important element. It gives the character a child-like quality.” That’s something which just makes him even spookier!
As for why the sinister clown isn’t quite as colourful as past iterations, it seems like this Pennywise would rather camouflage himself rather than trying to lure children in by looking like a regular, cheerful jester. “It makes him almost like a shadow,” Bryant teases.
It is set to be released next September. The plan is for there to be two movies, with this one following the leads as children and the sequel picking back up with them as adults.
