Invoice Skarsgård was initially “hesitant” to play Pennywise in It: Welcome to Derry till one thrilling improvement modified his thoughts. Skarsgård beforehand performed the enduring Stephen King villain in It (2017) and It Chapter Two (2019).
It: Welcome to Derry‘s story is about earlier than the occasions of the Losers Membership dealing with Pennywise within the films and the supply materials. Based mostly on the interlude chapters from the unique novel, the prequel will discover the backstory of Pennywise, the city of Derry, Maine, the dad and mom of Mike Hanlon, and quite a few new characters.
Whereas talking with SFX Journal, Welcome to Derry‘s director and govt producer Andy Muschietti revealed that Skarsgård was “hesitant” to play It once more due to the toll that taking part in such a darkish character can take. Nonetheless, Skarsgård’s worries ultimately evaporated. Take a look at Muschiettit’s feedback under:
I believe he was a bit hesitant in the beginning to play It once more as a result of he’s one thing that he did up to now.
Additionally, at that time, after we began speaking in regards to the sequence as one thing that was actual and tangible, he had performed lots of very darkish characters, and he was a bit hesitant to enter it once more. As a result of, clearly, for somebody that takes his work and his artwork so severely as him, it takes a toll to dwell within the head of these characters for a very long time. So he was a bit hesitant in the beginning – after which one thing modified. I suppose that we began once more, going into it and discussing all of the virtues of this new story and he determined to do it.
Government producer Barbara Muschietti clarified that Skarsgård was notably thinking about bringing to life the backstory of It taking up Bob Grey and changing into Pennywise, which was an concept that had beforehand been mentioned for a possible third film.
As a result of there was much more Bob Grey exploration, which we had talked to up to now, and we even had mentioned making a 3rd film about Bob Grey earlier than he was taken over by It and have become Pennywise. This grew to become an excellent little piece of sweet to play with. We noticed him having a very good time doing it. So it was good to see him, particularly within the Bob Grey moments when he is extra distended, have enjoyable.
What This Means For It: Welcome To Derry
One of many greatest attracts for Welcome to Derry is Skarsgård reprising the position of Pennywise. This helps the sequence really feel like extra of a direct prequel to the films than it will have if the half was recast, particularly after Skarsgård’s masterful and critically acclaimed efficiency within the movies.
Welcome to Derry arguably would have been much less thrilling with out him, though it’s comprehensible to have hesitations about taking part in Pennywise once more after going by means of the expertise of taking part in the deeply disturbing character twice earlier than. The richness of the character’s backstory and the accompanying themes appear to have been sufficient to make the return worthwhile.
It additionally helps that Skarsgård labored with Andy and Barbara Muschietti on the It films, which creates a historical past of belief and expertise, together with a robust understanding of what makes the tales of Pennywise and Derry work so effectively. A 3rd film by no means occurred, however the prequel is paying off a story they already needed to discover.
It (2017) is likely one of the all-time finest Stephen King films, and that’s largely as a result of work that Skarsgård and Andy and Barbara Muschietti did. Their previous work proves that they’re the proper group for It: Welcome to Derry, and these newest feedback affirm that there was a robust narrative purpose to make this prequel past it being a preferred IP.
It: Welcome to Derry will make its HBO debut on October 26.
- Launch Date
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October 26, 2025
- Community
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HBO
- Administrators
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Andy Muschietti