Is it possible to fill the enormous clown-sized shoes of Tim Curry when it comes to portraying the nightmare-beckoning villain Pennywise the Clown? It’s a gargantuan bit of expectation, but New Line has sorted out their pick for who will put on a red nose and thoroughly scare the sh*t out of you.
Hemlock Grove‘s Bill Skarsgård (yes he’s one of those Skarsgårds) has been tapped to play the iconic character in the upcoming big screen adaptation of Stephen King’s It. It’s not the first time this role has been cast, mind you. Will Poulter, who you may know best as the lovable doofus Kenny in We’re The Millers, was originally given the role back in May 2015, but would exit the project after creative differences prompted original director Cary Fukunaga to leave and there needed to be a search for someone new to helm It. The studio was said to be pushing for young talent to play Pennywise, so Skarsgård has this film continuing to tick that box.
Mama director Andy Muschietti was installed as Fukunaga’s replacement last summer, and just like the 1990 miniseries, It will be split into two parts. In February, producer Roy Lee confirmed the films will be rated R and will respect facets of King’s novel.
“It is very close to the source material in one way but very different if you look at it as a literary piece of work… We’re taking it and making the movie from the point of view of the kids, and then making another movie from the point of view of the adults, that could potentially then be cut together like the novel. But it’s gonna be a really fun way of making this movie.”
Part one of the shapeshifting horror tale is set to arrive in theaters on September 8, 2017. Stock up on night-lights or King adaptation gripes accordingly.
(Via The Hollywood Reporter)
