It’s been a while since Stephen King gave his blessing to Cary Fukunaga’s new adaptation of his classic novel IT. The book was previously turned into the ’90s TV mini-series that introduced the world to Tim Curry’s horrifying take on Pennywise The Clown.
Fukunaga is bringing the tale to the big-screen in two parts. Variety reports the production has found their new Pennywise in the form of young actor Will Poulter:
After considering older actors like Mark Rylance and Ben Mendelsohn for the Pennywise role, New Line wanted to take a different route and go younger. New Line also distributed Poulter’s “We’re the Millers,” which co-starred Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis.
Sources say in the end, Fukunaga could not say no after being blown away by Poulter’s audition for the part and felt he was the right choice for the role.
While the role is dark and evil, sources say Poulter is more than capable of taking on the character especially after his work on New Regency’s “The Revenant,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio. In the Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu film, he plays one of the robbers who leaves DiCaprio for dead after he is mauled in the wilderness by a bear. Insiders who have seen early footage feel that Poulter, 22, is more than ready for a villainous lead.
King’s epic novel is around 900 pages long and spans a few decades. New Line is planning to shoot one movie focusing just on the story with the protagonists as kids, and a second following their story as adults. The only constant in both films will be Poulter, ultimately making him the star of the entire project.
While it is difficult to picture Pennywise as anyone else but Curry, this bit of casting news is definitely intriguing. Poulter is a strong young actor with plenty of potential. Also, look at those damn eyebrows! Dude already has an evil clown look about him.
Fukunaga wrote the script with Seth Grahame-Smith (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies). Production begins production sometime this summer.
(Via Variety)
