It (character)
It, also known as Pennywise the Dancing Clown or Bob Gray, is the title character and main antagonist of Stephen King's 1986 horror novel It. The character is a demonic and scary supernatural entity that murders and eats the local children (and sometimes adults) of the fictional town of Derry, Maine about every twenty-seven years, using many powers that include the ability to shapeshift, manipulate reality, and go unnoticed by adults.
| Stephen King character | |
 Cosplay of Pennywise from the 2017-2019 cinematic version. | |
| First appearance | It (1986) |
|---|---|
| Portrayed by | 1990 miniseries: Tim Curry 2017 film and 2019 sequel: Bill Skarsgård |
| Aliases | It (sometimes spelled "IT") Pennywise The Dancing Clown Robert Gray (also Bob Gray) |
King came up with the idea for Pennywise after asking himself what scared children "more than anything else in the world", which he felt was clowns.[1] The character has been described as one of the scariest clowns in popular culture and is a global icon.
Film and television
The character was portrayed by Tim Curry in the 1990 television adaptation of the same name;[2] and by Bill Skarsgård in the 2017 and 2019 movie adaptation. It: Welcome to Derry, a prequel television series for the streaming service Max based on the first two movies is officially in development, with Skarsgård returning as Pennywise.
References
- ↑ Radford, Benjamin (2016). Bad Clowns. UNM Press. pp. 29, 36, 67–69, 99–103. ISBN 9780826356673. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- ↑ Paquette, Jenifer (2012). Respecting The Stand: A Critical Analysis of Stephen King's Apocalyptic Novel. McFarland. pp. 162–163. ISBN 978-0786470013. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
