It (character)

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Pennywise
Stephen King character
Pennywise Skarsgard and Curry.png
Top: Tim Curry as Pennywise in the 1990 miniseries
Bottom: Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise in the 2017 film
First appearance It (1986)
Created by Stephen King
Portrayed by
In-universe information
Full nameUnknown (possibly nameless)
AliasesIt (sometimes capitalized "IT")
Pennywise the Dancing Clown
Robert "Bob" Gray
The Derry Disease
Eater of Worlds
RelativesThe Other (creator)
Crimson King (father)
Maturin (brother)
Mrs. Kersh ("daughter")
OriginThe Macroverse

It, also known as Pennywise, Robert 'Bob' Gray, and Pennywise the Dancing Clown, is the titular antagonist in Stephen King's 1986 horror novel It. The character is an ancient, trans-dimensional malevolent entity who preys upon the children (and sometimes adults) of Derry, Maine, roughly every 27 years, using a variety of powers that include the ability of shapeshifting and manipulation of reality. During the course of the story, It primarily appears in the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown. "The Losers Club" becomes aware of Pennywise's presence after it kills Bill Denbrough's little brother, Georgie.

Contents

King stated in a 2013 interview that he came up with the idea for Pennywise after asking himself what children feared "more than anything else in the world", and feeling that the answer was clowns. [1] King thought of a troll like the one in the children's tale "Three Billy Goats Gruff", [2] though he imagined it living in a sewer system rather than under a bridge.

The character was portrayed in its Pennywise form by Tim Curry in the 1990 television adaptation [3] and by Bill Skarsgård in the 2017 film adaptation and its 2019 sequel It Chapter Two . [4] Skarsgård is set to reprise the role in the upcoming Max series It: Welcome to Derry , due to be released in 2025. [5]

Appearances

Literature

In the novel, It is a shapeshifting alien who usually takes the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown, originating in a void containing and surrounding the Universe—a place referred to in the novel as the "Macroverse". It arrived on Earth during an asteroid impact and made its home under the land upon which Derry would later be constructed, initially preying on North American tribes. It slept for millions of years, then, when humans appeared in the area, It awoke and began a feeding cycle lasting about a year, feeding on people's fears and frequently assuming the shape of whatever its prey feared the most. After feeding, It would resume dormancy for approximately 30 years before reappearing. It has a preference for children since their fears are easier to interpret and adults are more difficult to frighten while It is in physical form. It can manipulate weak-willed people, making them indifferent to the horrific events that unfold, or even serve as accomplices, such as when Pennywise manipulates the school bully and 'Bowers Gang' leader, Henry Bowers to eliminate the remaining 6 members of the Losers Club.

In the novel, It claims that its true name is Robert "Bob" Gray, but decided to be named “It”. Throughout the book, It is generally referred to as male, usually appearing as Pennywise. The Losers come to believe It may be female after seeing it in the form of a monstrous giant spider that lays eggs. However, It's true appearance is briefly observed by Bill via the Ritual of Chüd as a mass of swirling destructive orange lights known as "deadlights", which inflict insanity or death on any living being that sees them directly. The only person to survive the ordeal is Bill's wife Audra Phillips, although she is rendered temporarily catatonic by the experience.

It's natural enemy is the "Space Turtle" or "Maturin", another ancient dweller of King's "Macroverse" who, eons ago, created the known universe and possibly others by vomiting them out as the result of a stomachache. The Turtle appears again in King's The Dark Tower series. One of the novels in the series, Wizard and Glass , suggests that It, along with the Turtle, are themselves creations of a separate, omnipotent creator referred to as "the Other" (possibly Gan, who is said to have created the various universes where King's novels take place).

Throughout the novel It, some events are depicted from Pennywise's point of view, describing itself as a "superior" being, with the Turtle as an equal and humans as mere "toys". It's hibernation begins and ends with horrific events, like the mysterious disappearance of Derry Township's 300 settlers in 1740–43 or the town's later ironworks explosion. It awoke during a great storm that flooded part of the city in 1957, with Bill's younger brother Georgie the first in a line of killings before the Losers Club fight the monster, a confrontation culminating in Bill using the Ritual of Chüd to severely wound It and force It into hibernation. Continually surprised by the Losers' victory, It briefly questions its superiority before claiming that they were only lucky, as the Turtle is working through them. It is finally destroyed 27 years later in the second Ritual of Chüd, and an enormous storm damages the downtown part of Derry to symbolize It's death.

Pennywise makes a tangential appearance in King's 2011 novel 11/22/63 , in which protagonist Jake Epping meets a couple of the children from It, asks them about a recent murder in their town, and learns that the murderer apparently "wasn't the clown." It also appears to Jake in the old ironworks, where it taunts Jake about "the rabbit hole," referring to the time portal in which Jake moves from one time to another.

Film and television

In the 1990 miniseries, Pennywise is portrayed by English actor Tim Curry.

In the 2017 film adaptation, It and its 2019 sequel It Chapter Two , Pennywise is portrayed by Swedish actor Bill Skarsgård. [6] English actor Will Poulter was originally cast as Pennywise, with Curry describing the role as a "wonderful part" and wishing Poulter the best of luck, but the latter dropped out of the production due to scheduling conflicts and first film's original director Cary Fukunaga leaving the project.

The modern incarnation of Pennywise, introduced in the 2017 adaptation, appears as a background character in the family friendly live-action/animated film Space Jam: A New Legacy , which is also distributed by Warner Bros. [7]

Reception and legacy

Several media outlets such as The Guardian have spoken of the character, ranking it as one of the scariest clowns in film or pop culture. [8] [9] [10] The Atlantic said of the character; "the scariest thing about Pennywise, though, is how he preys on children's deepest fears, manifesting the monsters they're most petrified by (something J. K. Rowling would later emulate with boggarts)." [11] British scholar Mikita Brottman has also said of the miniseries version of Pennywise; "one of the most frightening of evil clowns to appear on the small screen" and that it "reflects every social and familial horror known to contemporary America". [12] Author Darren Shan cited Pennywise as an inspiration behind the character Mr. Dowling in his 12.5 book serial Zom-B . [13]

The American punk rock band Pennywise took its name from the character. [14]

Association with 2016 clown sightings

"I suspect it's a kind of low-level hysteria, like Slender Man, or the so-called Bunny Man, who purportedly lurked in Fairfax County, Virginia, wearing a white hood with long ears and attacking people with a hatchet or an axe. The clown furor will pass, as these things do, but it will come back, because under the right circumstances, clowns really can be terrifying."

—Writer Stephen King's reaction to the recurring clown scare phenomenon. [15]

The character was suggested as a possible inspiration for two incidents of people dressing up as clowns in Northampton, England and Staten Island, New York, US, both during 2014. [1] [16]

In 2016, appearances of "evil clowns" were reported by the media, including nine people in Alabama, US charged with "clown-related activity". [17] Several newspaper articles suggested that the character of Pennywise was an influence, which led to King commenting that people should react less hysterically to the sightings and not take his work seriously. [18]

The first reported sighting of people dressed as evil clowns in Greenville, South Carolina, US was by a small boy who spoke to his mother about a pair of clowns that had attempted to lure him away. [19] Additional creepy clown sightings were reported in other parts of South Carolina. [20]

Evil clowns were reported in several other U.S. states including North Carolina, [21] Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming. [22] Later the same year, "clown sightings" were reported in Great Britain, Australia, and Latin America. [23] [24] [25]

One hypothesis for the wave of 2016 clown sightings was a viral marketing campaign, [26] possibly for the Rob Zombie film 31 (2016). [27] A spokesperson for New Line Cinema (distributor of the 2017 film adaptation of It) released a statement claiming that "New Line is absolutely not involved in the rash of clown sightings." [28]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evil clown</span> Pop culture trope and horror staple

The evil clown, also known as the creepy clown, scary clown or killer clown, is a subversion of the traditional comic clown character, in which the playful trope is instead depicted in a more disturbing nature through the use of horror elements and dark humor. The modern archetype of the evil clown was popularized by the DC Comics supervillain Joker starting in 1940, and again in 1980s by Pennywise from Stephen King's It. The character can be seen as playing on the sense of unease felt by sufferers of coulrophobia, the fear of clowns.

<i>It</i> (novel) 1986 novel by Stephen King

It is a 1986 horror novel by American author Stephen King. It was King's 22nd book and the 17th novel written under his own name. The story follows the experiences of seven children as they are terrorized by an evil entity that exploits the fears of its victims to disguise itself while hunting its prey. "It" primarily appears in the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown to attract its preferred prey of young children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derry (Stephen King)</span> Fictional setting of the "It" universe

Derry is a fictional town in the U.S. state of Maine that has served as the setting for a number of Stephen King's novels, novellas, and short stories, notably It. Derry first appeared in King's 1981 short story "The Bird and the Album" and has reappeared as recently as his 2011 novel 11/22/63.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randall Flagg</span> Fictional character created by Stephen King

Randall Flagg is a fictional character created by American author Stephen King, who has appeared in at least nine of his novels. Described as "an accomplished sorcerer and a devoted servant of the Outer Dark", he has supernatural abilities involving necromancy, prophecy, and influence over animal and human behavior. His goals typically center on bringing down civilizations through destruction and conflict. He has a variety of names, usually with the initial letters "R. F." but with occasional exceptions, such as Walter o'Dim and Marten Broadcloak in The Dark Tower series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Skarsgård</span> Swedish actor (born 1990)

Bill Istvan Günther Skarsgård is a Swedish actor. He is known for portraying Pennywise in the horror films It (2017) and It Chapter Two (2019), based on Stephen King's novel of the same name. Other horror appearances were the series Hemlock Grove (2013–2015) and Castle Rock (2018–2019) and the film Barbarian (2022).

<i>It</i> (miniseries) 1990 psychological horror/drama miniseries

It is a 1990 ABC two-part psychological horror drama miniseries directed by Tommy Lee Wallace and adapted by Lawrence D. Cohen from Stephen King's 1986 novel of the same name. The story revolves around a predatory monster that can transform itself into its prey's worst fears to devour them, allowing it to exploit the phobias of its victims. It mostly takes the humanoid form of Pennywise, a demonic clown. The protagonists are The Lucky Seven, or The Losers Club, a group of outcast kids who discover Pennywise and vow to kill him by any means necessary. The series takes place over two different time periods, the first when the Losers first confront Pennywise as children in 1960, and the second when they return as adults in 1990 to defeat him a second time after he resurfaces.

<i>It</i> (2017 film) 2017 supernatural horror film by Andy Muschietti

It is a 2017 American supernatural horror film directed by Andy Muschietti and written by Chase Palmer, Cary Fukunaga, and Gary Dauberman. It is the first of a two-part adaptation of the 1986 novel of the same name by Stephen King, primarily covering the first chronological half of the book. It is the first film in the It film series as well as being the second adaptation following Tommy Lee Wallace's 1990 miniseries. Starring Jaeden Lieberher and Bill Skarsgård, the film was produced by New Line Cinema, KatzSmith Productions, Lin Pictures, and Vertigo Entertainment. The film, set in Derry, Maine, tells the story of The Losers' Club, a group of seven outcast children who are terrorized by the eponymous being which emerges from the sewer and appears in the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown (Skarsgård), only to face their own personal demons in the process.

<i>It Chapter Two</i> 2019 film by Andy Muschietti

It Chapter Two is a 2019 American supernatural horror film directed by Andy Muschietti from a screenplay by Gary Dauberman. It is the sequel to It (2017) and the second of a two-part adaptation of the 1986 novel It by Stephen King. The film stars Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa, Jay Ryan, James Ransone, Andy Bean, and Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise. In addition to the latter, several cast members from the previous film also reprised their roles including Jaeden Lieberher, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Wyatt Oleff, Chosen Jacobs, Jack Dylan Grazer, Nicholas Hamilton, Molly Atkinson, Stephen Bogaert, Jake Sim, Logan Thompson, Joe Bostick, and Megan Charpentier. Set 27 years after the events of the previous film, the story centers on the Losers Club and their relationships as they reunite to destroy It once and for all.

The 2016 clown sightings were reports of people disguised as evil clowns in incongruous settings, such as near forests and schools. The incidents were reported in the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and subsequently in other countries and territories starting during August 2016. The sightings were first reported in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in what turned out to be a marketing stunt for a horror film. The phenomenon later spread to many other cities in the U.S. By mid-October 2016, clown sightings and attacks had been reported in nearly all U.S. states, nine out of 13 provinces and territories of Canada, and 18 other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art the Clown</span> Fictional character in the Terrifier franchise

Art the Clown is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in the Terrifier franchise and related media. Created by Damien Leone, the character first appeared in the short films The 9th Circle (2008) and Terrifier (2011). Both shorts were included in the anthology film All Hallows' Eve (2013), which marked the character's feature film debut. In these early appearances, he was portrayed by Mike Giannelli before his retirement from acting. He was replaced by David Howard Thornton, who portrayed Art in Terrifier (2016), Terrifier 2 (2022), and Terrifier 3 (2024).

Wrinkles the Clown is a character created by an unidentified performance artist living in Naples, Florida, United States, as part of an elaborate art project. Wrinkles is a curmudgeonly homeless man who dresses as a clown and hires himself out to parents to scare kids for "a few hundred dollars," offering to come to their homes and frighten misbehaving children. The character first appeared in a video uploaded to YouTube in 2015, depicting him emerging from beneath a young girl's bed in the middle of the night. Subsequently, the character appeared in several more videos, either frightening children at their homes or engaging in disturbing behavior such as waving to motorists from a darkened roadside. Concurrently, stickers bearing the clown's face and a telephone number began appearing around Florida and quickly went viral.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Denbrough</span> Fictional character from the novel IT

William "Bill" Denbrough is a fictional character created by Stephen King and the main protagonist of his 1986 novel It. The character is considered to be the leader of "The Losers Club" and initiates finding and killing Pennywise the Dancing Clown after his younger brother Georgie is killed by the clown. The character was first portrayed in the 1990 TV mini-series by the late Jonathan Brandis as a child, and by Richard Thomas as an adult. In the 2017 adaptation and its 2019 sequel, the character was portrayed by Jaeden Martell as a child and James McAvoy as an adult.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richie Tozier</span> Fictional character from the novel IT

Richard "Richie" Tozier is a fictional character created by Stephen King and one of the main characters of his 1986 novel It. The character is a member of "The Losers Club" and is seen to be the comic relief of the group; however, his loudmouthed antics often get him in trouble, leading to him being called "Richie 'Trashmouth' Tozier" and his friends often using the phrase "Beep Beep Richie" when they want him to be quiet. He is known for being a closeted gay character and he is teased by antagonist, Pennywise, who sang the words "I know your secret, your dirty little secret!" to him because of this. He is secretly in love with Eddie Kaspbrak, which is hinted in a scene in It Chapter Two, which shows R+E carved into the kissing bridge. He was portrayed by Seth Green as a child and Harry Anderson as an adult in the 1990 miniseries adaptation of the novel, and by Ankur Javeri as a child and Nasirr Khan as an adult in the novel's 1998 television series adaptation. He was later portrayed by Finn Wolfhard as a child and Bill Hader as an adult in the 2017 film and its 2019 sequel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson Robert Scott</span> American child actor (born 2008)

Jackson Robert Scott is an American actor known for playing Bode Locke in the Netflix series Locke & Key (2020–2022) and Georgie Denbrough in the films It Chapter One (2017) and It Chapter Two (2019).

<i>Wrinkles the Clown</i> (film) American documentary comedy horror film

Wrinkles the Clown is a 2019 American documentary comedy horror film directed by Michael Beach Nichols. The film follows a man known as Wrinkles the Clown who lives in Naples, Florida. For a fee of "a few hundred dollars", he will attend birthdays, scare misbehaving kids, and prank people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beverly Marsh</span> Fictional character from the novel It

Beverly "Bev" Marsh is a fictional character created by Stephen King and one of the main characters of his 1986 horror novel It. The character is seen as a member of "The Losers Club" and a romantic interest of fellow members Bill Denbrough and Ben Hanscom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgie Denbrough</span> Fictional character

George "Georgie" Elmer Denbrough is a fictional character created by Stephen King from his 1986 epic horror novel It. Georgie is the younger brother of Bill Denbrough, and falls prey to Pennywise the Clown. He is used by Pennywise to taunt Bill throughout the novel. Georgie is portrayed by Tony Dakota in the 1990 TV miniseries adaptation and by Jackson Robert Scott in the theatrical film series. Dakota also reprised his role for a 2019 short fan film based on the 1990 TV miniseries adaptation of the novel, titled Georgie, which shows a "What If" scenario if Georgie had survived his encounter with Pennywise. He returns in the 2022 TV series, where he is portrayed by Prashant Rane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dick Hallorann</span> Fictional character

Richard Hallorann is a fictional character created by Stephen King from his 1977 novel The Shining. He has telepathic abilities he called "the shining" and is the head chef at the Overlook Hotel. He meets Danny Torrance, a young boy who is also telepathic, and learns that the evil spirits of the hotel have taken control of Danny's father, Jack.

<i>It</i> (soundtrack) 2017 film score by Benjamin Wallfisch

It: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album to the 2017 American film It. An adaptation of the 1986 novel of the same name by Stephen King, the first of the two-cinematic parts is directed by Andy Muschietti, and featured musical score composed by Benjamin Wallfisch. Wallfisch had influenced several works from film composers, notably John Williams and Alan Silvestri's works, while creating the score for It, and uses orchestral music to reflect the period of 1980s setting. A preview of the song list was released by WaterTower Music on August 25, 2017 and the soundtrack album consisting 38 tracks, were digitally released on September 1. A limited edition double LP was released on October 27, that consisted of a 18 tracks in the original score and remaining 29 tracks, that was released separately. The score received positive response from critics, appreaciting Wallfisch for the orchestral approach for the soundtrack.

It: Welcome to Derry is an upcoming American horror television series developed by Andy and Barbara Muschietti alongside Jason Fuchs. It is a prequel to the films It (2017) and It Chapter Two (2019), which is based on Stephen King's 1986 novel It. It stars Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, Taylour Paige, James Remar, and Stephen Rider, with Bill Skarsgård reprising his role as It / Pennywise from the films.

References

  1. 1 2 Radford, Benjamin (2016). Bad Clowns. Albuquerque, New Mexico: University of New Mexico Press. pp. 29, 36, 67–69, 99–103. ISBN   978-0-8263-5667-3 . Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  2. ↑ King, Stephen. "IT Inspiration". StephenKing.com. Archived from the original on May 14, 2019. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  3. ↑ Paquette, Jenifer (2012). Respecting The Stand: A Critical Analysis of Stephen King's Apocalyptic Novel. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. pp. 162–163. ISBN   978-0-7864-7001-3 . Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  4. ↑ "IT: CHAPTER 2 Announces Its Release Date". Nerdist . September 26, 2017. Archived from the original on July 4, 2018. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  5. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (May 30, 2024). "'Welcome To Derry': Bill Skarsgård To Reprise Pennywise Role In 'It' Prequel On Max". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on May 30, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  6. ↑ Kroll, Justin (June 2, 2016). "'It' Reboot Taps 'Hemlock Grove' Star Bill Skarsgard to Play Pennywise the Clown". Variety . Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  7. ↑ Gelmini, David (March 11, 2020). "Pennywise Will Appear In Space Jam 2". Dread Central . Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  8. ↑ Glenza, Jessica (October 29, 2014). "The 10 most terrifying clowns". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  9. ↑ "10 Most Terrifying Clowns in Horror Movies". Screen Rant. September 23, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  10. ↑ "The Scariest Clowns in Pop Culture". Nerdist. October 22, 2015. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  11. ↑ Gilbert, Sophie (November 18, 2015). "25 Years of Pennywise the Clown". The Atlantic. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  12. ↑ Brottman, Mikita (2004). Funny Peculiar: Gershon Legman and the Psychopathology of Humor. London, England: Routledge. p. 1. ISBN   0-88163-404-2 . Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  13. ↑ Shan, Darren (October 29, 2019). "Mr Dowling wants to dance with YOU!". DarrenShan.com. Archived from the original on January 12, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  14. ↑ Frasier, David K. (2005). Suicide in the Entertainment Industry. McFarland. p. 314. ISBN   978-0-7864-2333-0 . Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  15. ↑ Burnham, Emily (September 8, 2016). "Stephen King weighs in on those creepy Carolina clown sightings". Bangor Daily News . Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  16. ↑ Stableford, Dylan (March 25, 2014). "Pennywise, the clown foolish?". Yahoo! . Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  17. ↑ Faulk, Kent (September 24, 2016). "At least 9 'clown' arrests so far in Alabama: What charges do they face?". al.com.
  18. ↑ Flood, Alison (October 6, 2016). "Stephen King tells US to 'cool the clown hysteria' after wave of sightings". The Guardian . Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  19. ↑ Teague, Matthew (October 8, 2016). "Clown sightings: the day the craze began". The Guardian . Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  20. ↑ Rogers, Katie (August 30, 2016). "Creepy Clown Sightings in South Carolina Cause a Frenzy". The New York Times . Archived from the original on September 3, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  21. ↑ Guarino, Ben (September 7, 2016). "Clown sightings have spread to North Carolina. Now police are concerned about creepy copycats". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on November 5, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  22. ↑ Zuppello, Suzanne (September 29, 2016). "'Killer Clowns': Inside the Terrifying Hoax Sweeping America". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on October 21, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  23. ↑ Khomami, Nadia (October 10, 2016). "Creepy clown sightings spread to Britain". The Guardian . Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  24. ↑ BBC Editors (October 7, 2016). "Clown sightings: Australia police 'won't tolerate' antics". BBC . Archived from the original on October 11, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  25. ↑ BBC Editors (October 20, 2016). "Creepy clowns: Professionals condemn scary sightings craze". BBC . Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  26. ↑ "South Carolina clown sightings could be part of film marketing stunt". The Guardian . Reuters. September 4, 2016. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  27. ↑ Lee, Anna (September 1, 2016). "Police chief says clowns 'terrorizing public' will be arrested". The Greenville News . Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  28. ↑ Gardner, Chris (September 29, 2016). "Stephen King's 'It' Movie Producer Denies Creepy Clown Sightings Are Marketing Stunt". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
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