Horror

IT Director Reveals How He Kept the Young Cast Scared of Pennywise

by Blair Marnell
Sep 25 2017 • 3:15 PM

The feature film adaptation of Stephen King’s It may have been dethroned from the top of the box office, but it’s already become one of the most successful horror movies ever, earning more than $400 million worldwide. That’s a pretty impressive feat considering that the film hasn’t even been out a month yet. What’s equally impressive is that Bill SkarsgÃ¥rd managed to make Pennywise the Clown his own even in the shadow of Tim Curry‘s unforgettable portrayal in the 1990 It TV miniseries. SkarsgÃ¥rd’s appearance and performance were naturally creepy, but It director Andy Muschetti still wanted to ensure that he captured the genuinely fearful reactions of the film’s young cast. In a newly released video featurette, the It creative team talks about how they limited the cast’s contact with SkarsgÃ¥rd’s evil dancing clown between takes, in part to keep the kids from getting too used to seeing Pennywise.

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We spotted this video via io9, and it’s one of the most revealing behind-the-scenes videos from the film that we’ve seen so far. For example, the young actors who portrayed the Losers’ Club spoke about the scene that featured their first exposure to SkarsgÃ¥rd in costume as Pennywise, and how the increasingly monstrous appearance of the evil clown kept the kids off-guard. As io9 noted, SkarsgÃ¥rd’s 6’4″ height may have also helped him seem so intimidating both on and off screen.King seemed to be particularly pleased by SkarsgÃ¥rd’s performance, noting that “he did us all proud.” In response, SkarsgÃ¥rd shared that “having Stephen King’s seal of approval is amazing. I do hope that fans will feel the same way”What did you think about the new It video feature? Scare up your thoughts in the comment section below!

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What would Pennywise show the Losers Club cast in real life?

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Images: Warner Bros. Pictures/New Line Cinema