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A T-Shirt Featuring a Melting Pennywise from the 1990 Adaptation of IT

2017 PENNYWISE "THEY ALL FLOAT" T-SHIRT (SMALL)

DETAILS:

"And When You're Down Here with Me, You'll Float Too!"

Get ready to float, too... into the world of terror with this retro-inspired tee featuring a graphic of the iconic, Pennywise the Clown, from the 1990 TV mini-series adaptation of Stephen King's classic horror novel IT!

The design features an eerie image of Pennywise the Clown (played by Tim Curry) melting away during his infamous death scene, accompanied by one of his chilling quotes: "They all float!" - a phrase that will send shivers down your spine.

This awesomely macabre t-shirt is a must-have for all IT and Stephen King fanatics or any horror fan nostalgic for the '80s and '90s. Newer horror fans obsessed with the more modern major motion picture remakes of IT (It Chapter One and It Chapter Two) will love it too!

Stephen King's IT, his 22nd book and 17th novel in his name, was released in 1986 before it was adapted by Lawrence D. Cohen into a TV mini-series (essentially a long run TV movie) in 1990. The original Pennywise The Clown was portrayed by the skillful character actor Tim Curry who is well known for wonderful performances in great films like: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Annie, Clue, The Hunt For Red October, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, The Three Musketeers, The Shadow, and Addams Family Reunion to name just a few.

This IT graphic t-shirt is an official Warner Bros. Entertainment product that was manufactured in 2017 as part of the variety of merch created to accompany the release of the major motion picture remake of Stephen King's IT titled, It Chapter One.

Material

100% cotton.

Size:

Men's regular fit size Small (S).

CONDITION:

New with tags. Please see photos.

To ensure safe delivery all items are carefully packaged before shipping out.

THANK YOU FOR LOOKING. QUESTIONS? JUST ASK.

*ALL PHOTOS AND TEXT ARE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OF SIDEWAYS STAIRS CO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.*

"It is a 1986 horror novel by American author Stephen King. It was his 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.

The novel is told through narratives alternating between two periods and is largely told in the third-person omniscient mode. It deals with themes that eventually became King staples: the power of memory, childhood trauma and its recurrent echoes in adulthood, the malevolence lurking beneath the idyllic façade of the American small town, and overcoming evil through mutual trust and sacrifice.

King has stated that he first conceived the story in 1978, and began writing it in 1981. He finished writing the book in 1985.[2] He also stated that he originally wanted the title character to be a troll, like the one in the children's story "Three Billy Goats Gruff", who inhabited the local sewer system rather than just the area beneath one bridge. He also wanted the piece to interweave the stories of children and the adults they later become.

The novel won the British Fantasy Award in 1987, and received nominations for the Locus and World Fantasy Awards that same year.[3] Publishers Weekly listed It as the best-selling hardcover fiction book in the United States in 1986.[4] It has been adapted into a 1990 two-part miniseries directed by Tommy Lee Wallace, a Hindi 1998 television series directed by Glen Baretto & Ankush Mohla, and a film duology directed by Andy Muschietti. Muschietti's It was released in September 2017 and It Chapter Two was released in September 2019.
Plot
1957–1958

During a rainstorm in Derry, Maine, a six-year-old boy named Georgie Denbrough sails a paper boat along the rainy streets before it washes down into a storm drain. Looking in the drain, Georgie encounters a clown who introduces himself as Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Georgie, despite knowing he should not talk to strangers, is enticed by Pennywise to reach into the drain and retrieve his boat. It then rips his arm off, and Georgie dies.

The following June, an overweight eleven-year-old boy named Ben Hanscom is harassed by a bully named Henry Bowers and his gang on the last day of school, escaping into the marshy wasteland known as the Barrens. There, Ben befriends an asthmatic hypochondriac named Eddie Kaspbrak and "Stuttering Bill" Denbrough, Georgie's elder brother. The three boys later befriend fellow misfits Richie Tozier, Stanley "Stan" Uris, and Beverly Marsh, and refer to themselves as "The Losers Club". As the summer draws on, the Losers each encounter Pennywise in terrifying manifestations: a mummy on a frozen canal to Ben, a fountain of blood (that only children can see) from Beverly's sink, a rotting leper to Eddie, drowned corpses to Stan, and a frightening phantom of Georgie to Bill. Meanwhile, an increasingly unhinged and sadistic Bowers begins focusing his attention on his African-American neighbor, Mike Hanlon, and his father. Bowers kills Mike's dog and chases the terrified boy into the Barrens, where he joins the Losers in driving Bowers' gang off in a rock fight, leaving a humiliated Bowers to vow for revenge. Mike becomes a member of the Losers Club after revealing his own encounter with Pennywise in the form of a flesh-eating bird. From Mike's historical scrapbook, the Losers realize that "It" is an ancient monster with a hold on the town. Following further encounters, the Losers construct a makeshift smoke hole that Richie and Mike use to hallucinate It's origins as an ancient alien that came to Earth, beginning a cycle of feeding on children for a year followed by a 27-year-long hibernation.

Soon, Eddie is hospitalized by Bowers and several of his friends, and Beverly witnesses one of the bullies, Patrick Hockstetter, kidnapped by It in the form of a mass of flying leeches. The Losers discover a message from It in Patrick's blood, warning them that It will kill them if they interfere. In hopes that silver can wound It, Ben makes two silver slugs out of a silver dollar, and the Losers enter an abandoned house where Eddie, Bill, and Richie had previously encountered It to attempt to kill It. They manage to wound It with the silver while It is in the form of a werewolf. Deeming the Losers a threat, It manipulates Bowers into murdering his abusive father and chasing the Losers into the sewers to kill them, where his accompanying fellow bullies, Victor "Vic" Criss and Reginald "Belch" Huggins, are both killed by It. This leads Bowers to become lost in the sewers, traumatized.

In the sewers, Bill performs the "Ritual of Chüd" in an attempt to face It in the Macroverse, the alternate universe where It is from, where he meets the monster's antithesis, Maturin, an ancient turtle that created the universe. Bill learns that It can only be defeated during a battle of wills, and sees It's true form, the "Deadlights", before Bill defeats the monster with Maturin's help. After the battle, not knowing if they killed It or not, the Losers get lost in the sewers. To try and regain a sense of direction, Beverly has intercourse with each of the boys to bring the unity back to the group.[5] Once they are safely out, the Losers swear a blood oath to return to Derry should It resurface. Bowers, having lost his sanity by the time he washed out of the sewers into a nearby river, is institutionalized after being blamed for the town's child murders.
1984–1985

In July 1984, three youths brutally attack a young gay man named Adrian Mellon and throw him off a bridge, where both a bully and Adrian's boyfriend then see a clown appear. Adrian is found mutilated, and the teenagers are arrested and charged with his murder.

When a string of violent child killings begins in Derry again, an adult Mike Hanlon, now the town's librarian, calls up the six former members of the Losers Club to remind them of their childhood promise to return if the killings start again. Bill is now a successful horror writer living with his actress wife, Audra; Beverly is a fashion designer, married to an abusive man named Tom Rogan; Eddie runs a limousine rental company and has married a hysterical codependent woman similar to his hypochondriac mother; Richie Tozier is a disc jockey; Ben Hanscom is now thin and a successful but lonely architect; and Stan Uris is a wealthy accountant. Prior to Mike's phone calls, all of the Losers had completely forgotten each other and the trauma of their childhood, burying the horror of their encounters with It. All of the Losers agree to return to Derry, except for Stan, who kills himself in terror of facing It again.

The Losers meet for lunch, where Mike reminds them that It awakens roughly every 27 years for 12–16 months at a time, feeding on children before going into slumber again. The group decides to kill It once and for all. At Mike's suggestion, each person explores different parts of Derry to help restore their memories. While exploring, Eddie, Richie, Beverly, and Ben are faced with manifestations of It (Eddie as Belch Huggins and childhood friends in leper and zombified forms, Richie as a Paul Bunyan statue, Beverly as the witch from Hansel & Gretel in her childhood home, and Ben as Dracula in the Derry Library). Bill finds his childhood bicycle, "Silver," and brings it to Mike's. In the meantime, Audra, who is worried about Bill, travels to Derry; Tom arrives as well, intending to kill Beverly; and Henry Bowers escapes from the mental asylum with help from It.

Henry confronts Mike at the library, but Mike escapes alive. It instructs Henry to kill the rest of the Losers, but Henry is killed while attacking Eddie. It then appears to Tom and orders him to capture Audra, bringing Audra to It's lair, where Audra becomes catatonic, and Tom drops dead in shock. Bill, Ben, Beverly, Richie, and Eddie learn that Mike is near death and realize they are being forced into another confrontation with It. They descend into the sewers and use their strength as a group to "send energy" to a hospitalized Mike, who fights off a nurse that is under the control of It. They reach It's lair and find that It has taken the form of a giant spider. Bill and Richie enter It's mind through the Ritual of Chüd, but they get lost in It. Eddie injures It by spraying his asthma medication down Its throat, but It bites off Eddie's arm, killing him. It runs away to tend to its injuries, but Bill, Richie, and Ben chase after and find that It has laid eggs. Ben stays behind to destroy the eggs, while Bill and Richie head toward their final confrontation with It. Bill fights his way inside It's body, locates It's heart, and destroys it. The group meets up to head out of It's lair, and although they try to bring Audra and Eddie's bodies with them, they are forced to leave Eddie behind. They realize that the scars on their hands from their blood pact have disappeared, indicating that their ordeal is finally over.

At the same time, the worst storm in Maine's history sweeps through Derry, and the downtown area collapses. Mike concludes that Derry is finally dying. The Losers return home and gradually begin to forget about It, Derry, and each other all over again. Mike's memory of the events of that summer also begins to fade, as well as any of the records he had written down previously, much to his relief, and he considers starting a new life elsewhere. Ben and Beverly leave together and become a couple, and Richie returns to California. Bill is the last to leave Derry. Before he goes, he takes Audra, still catatonic, for a ride on Silver, which awakens her from her catatonia, and they share a kiss.
Development
[icon]    
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2019)

In 1978, King and his family lived in Boulder, Colorado. One evening, King ventured alone to pick up his car from the repair shop and came across an old wooden bridge, "humped and oddly quaint". Walking along the bridge caused King to recall the story of "Three Billy Goats Gruff", and the idea of transplanting the tale's scenario into a real-life context interested him. King was further inspired by a line by Marianne Moore—“imaginary gardens with real toads in them"—which in his mind came out as "real trolls in imaginary gardens." King would return to the concept two years later and gradually accumulated ideas and thoughts, particularly the concept of weaving the narratives of children and the adults they become. King began writing It in 1980,[6] and finished the book five years later.[7] King found influence in the mythology and history surrounding the construction of the sewer system in Bangor, Maine.[8]
Themes

It thematically focuses on the loss of childhood innocence[7] and questions the difference between necessity and free will.[1] Grady Hendrix of Tor.com described the book as being "about the fact that some doors only open one way, and that while there's an exit out of childhood named sex, there’s no door leading the other way that turns adults back into children".[8] Christopher Lehman-Haupt of The New York Times noted that It "concerns the evil that has haunted America from time to time in the forms of crime, racial and religious bigotry, economic hardship, labor strife and industrial pollution", and that the novel's setting "is a museum filled with the popular culture of the 1950s: brand names, rock 'n' roll songs and stars, the jokes and routines of childhood in that era".[1] James Smythe of The Guardian opined that "Pennywise isn't the novel's biggest terror. The most prominent notions of fear in the novel come from the Losers Club themselves: their home lives, the things that have made them pariahs."...Reception and legacy

It received a mostly positive critical reaction when it was released.

Christopher Lehman-Haupt perceived a lack of justification in Stanley Uris' death and the reunion of the group.[1]

Grady Hendrix described the book as "by turns boring and shocking" and "one of King's most frustrating and perplexing books", and described the behavior of the child characters as idealized and unnatural....The novel has been noted for its exceptional length. Publishers Weekly expressed particular indignation: "Overpopulated and under-characterized, bloated by lazy thought-out philosophizing and theologizing there is simply too much of It."[8]

The character Pennywise has been named by several outlets as one of the scariest clowns in film or pop culture.[10][11][12][13]

In 2003, It was listed at number 144 on the BBC's The Big Read poll—one of three King novels on the list.[14]
Adaptations
Main articles: It (miniseries), Woh, It (2017 film), and It Chapter Two

In 1990, the novel was adapted into a television miniseries starring Tim Curry as Pennywise the Clown/It,[15] John Ritter as Ben Hanscom, Harry Anderson as Richie Tozier, Richard Masur as Stan Uris, Tim Reid as Mike Hanlon, Annette O'Toole as Beverly Marsh, Richard Thomas as Bill Denbrough, Olivia Hussey as Audra Phillips, Dennis Christopher as Eddie Kaspbrak, and Michael Cole as Henry Bowers. The younger versions of the characters were played by Brandon Crane (Ben), Seth Green (Richie), Ben Heller (Stan), Marlon Taylor (Mike), Emily Perkins (Beverly), Jonathan Brandis (Bill), Adam Faraizl (Eddie), and Jarred Blancard (Henry). The miniseries was directed by Tommy Lee Wallace and scripted by Wallace and Lawrence D. Cohen.

In 1998, the novel was adapted into a television series set in India, starring Lilliput as Pennywise the Clown/Vikram/Woh/It, and Ashutosh Gowarikar (Ashutosh), Mamik Singh (Rahul), Anupam Bhattacharya (Sanjeev), Shreyas Talpade (Young Ashutosh), Parzan Dastur (Young Siddhart), Manoj Joshi (Amit), and Daya Shankar Pandey (Chandu), the series' equivalent of the Losers Club. The series was directed and written by Glen Baretto and Ankush Mohla.

The first of a two-part feature film adaptation, It, was released on September 8, 2017.[16] It is directed by Andy Muschietti, with a screenplay by Chase Palmer, Cary Fukunaga and Gary Dauberman. Instead of a dual narrative, the first film is solely an adaptation of the section that features the characters as children, though the setting has been updated to the late 1980s. It stars Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise and Jaeden Martell as Bill Denbrough. Supporting roles are played by Finn Wolfhard as Richie Tozier, Sophia Lillis as Beverly Marsh, Jack Dylan Grazer as Eddie Kaspbrak, Wyatt Oleff as Stanley Uris, Chosen Jacobs as Mike Hanlon, Jeremy Ray Taylor as Ben Hanscom, Owen Teague as Patrick Hockstetter, Nicholas Hamilton as Henry Bowers, Logan Thompson as Vic Criss and Jake Sim as Belch Huggins.

The second film, It Chapter Two, adapted the "adult" section and updated the setting to the 2010s, specifically 2016. It starred James McAvoy (Bill), Bill Hader (Richie), Jessica Chastain (Beverly), James Ransone (Eddie), Andy Bean (Stan), Isaiah Mustafa (Mike), and Jay Ryan (Ben). Skarsgård reprised the role of Pennywise and the younger actors returned as well. Principal photography wrapped in 2018, and it was released on September 6, 2019.[17]

On March 21, 2022, Variety reported that Muschietti, along with his sister and Jason Fuchs, was developing and executive producing a prequel series for HBO Max, titled Welcome to Derry. The show is said to take place in the 1960s, before the events of It: Chapter One, and will reportedly include the origin story of Pennywise the Clown. Muschietti will direct the first episode, with Fuchs writing all of the episodes for the series." (wikipedia.)

"Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros.,[a] or abbreviated as WB, or WBEI) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). Founded in 1923 by four brothers, Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack Warner, the company established itself as a leader in the American film industry before diversifying into animation, television, and video games, and is one of the "Big Five" major American film studios, as well as a member of the Motion Picture Association (MPA).

The company is known for its film studio division, the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, which includes Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, Castle Rock Entertainment, DC Studios, and the Warner Bros. Television Group. Bugs Bunny, a character created for the Looney Tunes series, is the company's official mascot.
History
Founding

The company's name originated from the founding Warner brothers (born Wonsal, Woron, and Wonskolaser[8][9][10] before Anglicization):[11][12] Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack Warner. Harry, Albert and Sam emigrated as young children with their Polish-Jewish[13][14][15][16] mother to the United States from Krasnosielc, Poland (then part of Congress Poland within the Russian Empire), in October 1889, a year after their father emigrated to the U.S. and settled in Baltimore, Maryland. As in many other immigrant families, the elder Wonsal children gradually acquired anglicized versions of their Yiddish-sounding names: Szmuel Wonsal became Samuel Warner (nicknamed "Sam"), Hirsz Wonsal became Harry Warner, and Aaron Wonsal (although born with a given name common in the Americas) became Albert Warner.[17] Jack, the youngest brother, was born in London, Ontario, during the family's two-year residency in Canada.

The three elder brothers began in the movie theater business, having acquired a movie projector with which they showed films in the mining towns of Pennsylvania and Ohio. In the beginning,[18] Sam and Albert Warner invested $150 to present Life of an American Fireman and The Great Train Robbery. They opened their first theater, the Cascade, in New Castle, Pennsylvania, in 1903. When the original building was in danger of being demolished, the modern Warner Bros. called the current building owners and arranged to save it. The owners noted people across the country had asked them to protect it for its historical significance.[19]

In 1904, the Warners founded the Pittsburgh-based Duquesne Amusement & Supply Company,[20][21] to distribute films. In 1912, Harry Warner hired an auditor named Paul Ashley Chase. By the time of World War I, they had begun producing films; in the early 1920s they acquired their first studio facilities on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Sam and Jack produced the pictures, while Harry and Albert, along with their auditor and now-controller Chase, handled finance and distribution in New York City. During World War I their first nationally syndicated film, My Four Years in Germany, based on a popular book by former ambassador James W. Gerard, was released. On April 4, 1923, with help from money loaned to Harry by his banker Motley Flint,[22] they formally incorporated as Warner Bros. Pictures, Incorporated. (As late as the 1960s, Warner Bros. claimed 1905 as its founding date.)

The first important deal was the acquisition of the rights to Avery Hopwood's 1919 Broadway play, The Gold Diggers, from theatrical impresario David Belasco. However, Rin Tin Tin,[24] a dog brought from France after World War I by an American soldier, established their reputation.[25] Rin Tin Tin's third film was the feature Where the North Begins, which was so successful that Jack signed the dog to star in more films for $1,000 per week.[24] Rin Tin Tin became the studio's top star.[24] Jack nicknamed him "The Mortgage Lifter"[24] and the success boosted Darryl F. Zanuck's career.[26] Zanuck eventually became a top producer[27] and between 1928 and 1933 served as Jack's right-hand man and executive producer, with responsibilities including day-to-day film production.[28] More success came after Ernst Lubitsch was hired as head director;[26] Harry Rapf left the studio to join Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.[29] Lubitsch's film The Marriage Circle was the studio's most successful film of 1924, and was on The New York Times best list for that year.[26]

Despite the success of Rin Tin Tin and Lubitsch, Warner's remained a lesser studio.[30] Sam and Jack decided to offer Broadway actor John Barrymore the lead role in Beau Brummel.[30] The film was so successful that Harry signed Barrymore to a long-term contract;[31] like The Marriage Circle, Beau Brummel was named one of the ten best films of the year by the Times.[31] By the end of 1924, Warner Bros. was arguably Hollywood's most successful independent studio,[31] where it competed with "The Big Three" Studios (First National, Paramount Pictures, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)).[32] As a result, Harry Warner—while speaking at a convention of 1,500 independent exhibitors in Milwaukee, Wisconsin—was able to convince the filmmakers to spend $500,000 in newspaper advertising,[33] and Harry saw this as an opportunity to establish theaters in places such as New York City and Los Angeles.[33]

As the studio prospered, it gained backing from Wall Street, and in 1924 Goldman Sachs arranged a major loan. With this new money, the Warners bought the pioneer Vitagraph Company which had a nationwide distribution system.[33] In 1925, Warners' also experimented in radio, establishing a successful radio station, KFWB, in Los Angeles....Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Warner Communications branched out into other business, such as video game company Atari, Inc. in 1976, and later the Six Flags theme parks.

In 1972, in a cost-cutting move, Warner and Columbia formed a third company called The Burbank Studios (TBS).[191] They would share the Warner lot in Burbank.[191] Both studios technically became production entities, giving TBS day-to-day responsibility for studio grounds and upkeep.[191] The Columbia Ranch (about a mile north of Warner's lot) was part of the deal.[191] The Warner–Columbia relationship was acrimonious, but the reluctance of both studios to approve or spend money on capital upgrades that might only help the other did have the unintended consequence of preserving the Warner lot's primary function as a filmmaking facility while it produced relatively little during the 1970s and 1980s.[191] However, a famous film that had been filmed at The Burbank Studios at that time was Blade Runner (1982) by director Ridley Scott.[192]

All in all, most films produced after 1968 were filmed on location after the failure of Camelot was partially attributed to the fact it was set in England but obviously filmed in Burbank.[191] With control over its own lot tied up in TBS, Warner ultimately retained a significant portion of its backlot,[191] while Fox sold its backlot to create Century City, Universal turned part of its backlot into a theme park and shopping center, and Disney replaced its backlot with office buildings and exiled its animation department to an industrial park in Glendale.

In 1989, a solution to the situation became evident when Warner Bros. acquired Lorimar-Telepictures and gained control of the former MGM studio lot in Culver City, and that same year, Sony bought Columbia Pictures.[191] Sony was flush with cash and Warner Bros. now had two studio lots.[191] In 1990, TBS ended when Sony bought the MGM lot from Warner and moved Columbia to Culver City.[191] However, Warner kept the Columbia Ranch, now known as the Warner Bros. Ranch.[191]

Robert A. Daly joined Warner Bros. on December 1, 1980, taking over from Ted Ashley. His titles were chairman of the board and Co-Chief Executive Officer. One year later, he was named chairman of the board and chief executive officer and appointed Terry Semel President and Chief Operating Officer.
Time Warner subsidiary

Warner Communications merged in 1989 with white-shoe publishing company Time Inc. Time claimed a higher level of prestige, while Warner Bros. provided the profits. The Time-Warner merger was almost derailed when Paramount Communications (formerly Gulf+Western, later sold to the first incarnation of Viacom), launched a $12.2 billion hostile takeover bid for Time Inc., forcing Time to acquire Warner with a $14.9 billion cash/stock offer. Paramount responded with a lawsuit filed in Delaware court to break up the merger. Paramount lost and the merger proceeded.

In 1992, Warner Bros. Family Entertainment was established to produce various family-oriented films, plus animated films. The Family Entertainment label was dormant in 2009. In 1994, Jon Peters, whose Peters Entertainment company had a non-exclusive deal at Sony Pictures, received another non-exclusive, financing deal at the studio, citing that then president Terry Samel and producer Jon Peters were friends.[193]
The former Warner Bros. shield logo, which was used from 1993 to 2019, and extensively used in films and on its TV shows until 2022. Currently used as the on-screen logo for Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

In 1995, Warner Bros. and television station owner Tribune Company of Chicago launched The WB Television Network, seeking a large share of the niche market of teenage viewers. The WB's early programming included an abundance of teenage fare, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Smallville, Dawson's Creek and One Tree Hill. Two dramas produced by Spelling Television, 7th Heaven and Charmed, helped bring The WB into the spotlight. Charmed lasted eight seasons, becoming the longest-running drama with female leads. 7th Heaven ran for eleven seasons and was the longest-running family drama and longest-running show for the network. In 2006, Warner Bros. and CBS Corporation decided to close The WB and CBS's UPN and jointly launch The CW Television Network.

In 1996, Turner Pictures was folded into Warner Bros. via the Turner-Time Warner Entertainment merger. This brought projects such as City of Angels and You've Got Mail into the studio.[194] Later that year, Warner Bros. partnered with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment to distribute various movies produced by Castle Rock Entertainment, also brought into Warner Bros. by the Turner deal.[195] Also that same year, Bruce Berman left Warner Bros. to begin Plan B Entertainment, then he subsequently headed Village Roadshow Pictures with a deal at the studio.[196]

In 1998, Time Warner Entertainment sold Six Flags to Premier Parks.[197] The takeover of Time Warner Entertainment in 2001 by then-high-flying America Online (AOL) did not prove a good match, and following the collapse in "dot-com" stocks, the AOL element was banished from the corporate name.

In 1998, Warner Bros. celebrated its 75th anniversary. In 1999, Terry Semel and Robert Daly resigned as studio heads after a career with 13 Oscar-nominated films. Daly and Semel were said to have popularized the modern model of partner financing and profit sharing for film production. In mid-1999, Alan F. Horn and Barry Meyer replaced Daly and Semel as new studio heads, in which the studio had continued success in movies, television shows, cartoons, that the previous studio heads had for the studio. In late 2003, Time Warner reorganized Warner Bros.' assets under Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., in an effort to distinguish the film studio from its then-sister record label (which since became Warner Records in May 2019) and Warner Music Group.

In the late 1990s, Warner Bros. obtained rights to the Harry Potter novels and released feature film adaptations of the first in 2001. Subsequently, they released the second film in 2002, the third in June 2004, the fourth in November 2005, the fifth in July 2007, and the sixth in July 2009.[198] The seventh (and at that time, final) book was released as two movies; Deathly Hallows — Part 1 in November 2010 and Deathly Hallows — Part 2 in July 2011." (wikipedia.)

"t (also known as Stephen King's IT) is a 1990 ABC two-part psychological horror drama[1] 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.

Cast members included Tim Curry (Pennywise), Richard Thomas, John Ritter, Harry Anderson, Jonathan Brandis, Tim Reid and others. Produced by Green/Epstein Productions, It was filmed over a period of three months in New Westminster, British Columbia, in mid-1990 with a budget of $12 million, double the usual television budget. The miniseries was first broadcast during the November sweeps month. Despite the risk factors, mixed pre-airing critical reviews, and coverage of President George H. W. Bush's foreign trips cutting into the program, It was ABC's biggest success of 1990; the miniseries pulled through with a total of 30 million viewers for its two parts.

It was nominated for two Emmy Awards, one Eddie Award, one Youth in Film award, and a best miniseries recognition from the People's Choice Awards; it won two of the nominations, an Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for Richard Bellis' score and an Eddie Award for the miniseries' editing.

While divided critical perspectives towards It have continued in later years, the miniseries has become most known for Curry's version of Pennywise. In fact, his portrayal has been considered by several publications to be one of the scariest clown characters in film and television. It has also spawned an Indiegogo-funded documentary film about the miniseries' production, titled Pennywise: The Story of It (2020); and an alternate history sequel short named Georgie, also by the producers of the documentary.
Plot

During a heavy rainstorm in Derry, Maine, in the spring of 1960, George Denbrough plays in the streets with a paper sailboat made by his stuttering older brother, Bill. It goes down a storm drain, where Georgie encounters Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Pennywise entices Georgie to reach in to retrieve his boat, only to tear his arm off and leave him to bleed to death. A few months later, Bill and asthmatic Eddie Kaspbrak befriend the chubby new kid Ben Hanscom. They are later joined by Beverly Marsh, who lives with her abusive father, and she and Ben are introduced to Bill and Eddie's other friends: the comical Richie Tozier and skeptical, Jewish Boy Scout Stan Uris.

Ben develops feelings for Beverly, and sends her an anonymous poem, but she assumes the poem is from Bill and develops feelings for him. At school, by the creek, and around town, they are all bullied by Henry Bowers and his greaser gang. The children all have grotesque, frightening encounters with Pennywise. In July, the group is joined by Mike Hanlon, an African-American boy, as Bowers' gang chases him. The children, now dubbing themselves the "Losers Club", fend off the Bowers Gang with rocks. While looking through Mike's History of Derry school project scrapbook, the Losers realize that Pennywise, whom they refer to as "It", is not a human being but an ancient creature that awakens roughly every thirty years to hunt and feed.

Realizing that It killed Georgie, Bill leads the Losers into Derry's sewers to kill the creature. Stan becomes separated from the group and is ambushed by Bowers and Belch Huggins. Belch is killed by It who has also already killed Victor Criss (who had separated from the group to set up an ambush), and Henry is left traumatized, his hair shocked white. Stan regroups with the Losers in a large sewer drainage chamber. The chamber fills with fog as the seven join hands to form a circle, their united strength, but the circle is broken when Stan is grabbed by It. The Losers take advantage of It's ability to access and use their imaginations against It. Eddie imagines his inhaler is full of battery acid, injuring half of the clown's face, then Beverly slingshots silver earrings at It, which seems to 'break' Pennywise's head open, his light force seeping out. Wounded, It flees down a drain, where the kids hear moaning, and conclude It is dead. The group exits the sewers, but vows to return should It ever return. Bowers, now insane or possessed from It's deadlights, confesses to the child killings and is institutionalized.

Thirty years later, in May 1990, It kills Laurie Ann Winterbarger in her backyard, signaling another awakening and feeding spree. Mike, the only one to stay in Derry, contacts his old friends to fulfill their oath after hearing reports of missing children. All of the Losers, who have gone on to have successful careers, return, except Stan, who cannot bear the thought of returning to Derry to fight It, and commits suicide. The other Losers reunite in Derry, later learning of Stan's suicide. Upon returning, they are all taunted and terrorized by Pennywise. Bowers, with It's help, escapes from the asylum to murder the Losers. Bill's wife, Audra, travels to Derry but is captured by It, hypnotized by the monster's "deadlights". Bowers attacks and stabs Mike, but fatally stabs himself with his knife when Eddie and Ben rush in to save Mike. Mike is hospitalized, and he gives Bill the two silver earrings he retrieved from the sewers ten years ago. The five remaining Losers return to the sewers to confront It, where Bill realizes that It has Audra.

They reach It's inner sanctum, see the catatonic Audra engulfed in spiderwebs, and discover It's true form of a gigantic, otherworldly spider. Bill, Ben, and Richie are entranced by the deadlights emanating from It's underside, while Beverly retrieves the silver earring she overshot. Eddie attempts to repeat the wound he inflicted on It as a child, but is grabbed and mortally wounded. Beverly frees her friends, but Eddie dies. The others follow the injured demon spider, finishing it by ripping out its heart and crushing the heart. They remove Eddie's body and the catatonic Audra from the sewers. Mike recovers in the hospital, explaining how the Losers go their separate ways once again, their memories of It and each other fading over time, save for his journal; Beverly and Ben get married and are expecting their first child, and Richie is cast in a film. Bill is preparing to leave Derry, but pulls Audra out of her catatonia by riding her down a street on "Silver", his childhood Schwinn cruiser.
Cast and characters

    I was at first a bit intimidated by my all-star cast, but my fears were unfounded – they all turned out to be generous and supportive team players. The child actors were much more of a challenge [...] I'm especially proud of the adult/child pairings, as I think we made really astute choices and got really lucky making it believable that that group of seven kids grew up to be that group of seven adults, which is no easy feat.
    — Tommy Lee Wallace, 2015[4]

It's main ensemble features actors not very well known in horror, such as John Ritter, Tim Reid, Harry Anderson, and Tim Curry.[5] Thomas' only previous horror venture was Tales from the Crypt; and Anderson's experience in the genre included an episode in the series[5] and his magician shows, where he would eat live animals, put a nail up in his nose, and catch a gun bullet with his teeth.[6] This casting was unusual for a horror production at the time, but producer Jim Green reasoned that it was in order to increase eyeballs from more easily frightened casual viewers.[5] The majority of the adult actors in the film, including Ritter, Dennis Christopher, Reid and Anderson, were hand-chosen by Wallace and Cohen for their roles.[7] Emily Perkins and Marlon Taylor, who played the young Beverly Marsh and Mike Hanlon, were cast out of Vancouver, while Seth Green and Jonathan Brandis were cast out of Los Angeles for the parts of young Richie and Bill.

It
"What's fun about [Pennywise] is that a clown is traditionally a very cozy, comforting image, and Pennywise is none of those things."
—Tim Curry in an interview published during It's production[8]

It is the titular shapeshifting antagonist of the miniseries whose primary form is a wisecracking clown named Pennywise, played by Tim Curry. Curry used Robin Williams-esque natural improvisation when playing Pennywise, giving the character a Bronx accent in order to sound like, as Curry put it, "an old-time Catskills comic."[9] While the original novel showcased It taking on many other incarnations, the miniseries only features four of them (not counting the forms of Georgie, Stan, and Al Marsh): an elderly lady Beverly meets named Mrs. Kersh, portrayed by Florence Paterson; Ben's dead father Captain Hanscom, played by Steve Makaj; a werewolf Richie encounters after viewing I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957) played by an unknown actor (A 1991 Fangoria feature states an actor played the werewolf, but it did not specify who[10] and the actor is not credited in the miniseries); and It's true spiderlike form, portrayed by Brent Baker.[11]

According to writer Lawrence D. Cohen, he had written the script for the series without a specific actor in mind for the role of Pennywise.[7] Malcolm McDowell, Roddy McDowall, and Alice Cooper were in consideration to play Pennywise,[9] but director Tommy Lee Wallace wanted Curry for the role.[7] King recalled that there was doubt from the crew about Curry playing Pennywise, perhaps due to the actor previously being known for comic roles in films like The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) and Clue (1985).[7]

Wallace wasn't a fan of the other choices, particularly McDowell, as Wallace found him to have too much "sweetness" to play a part like Pennywise.[7] Curry took the role for the clown's "subversive nature," being "both beguiling and murderous" and "a smile gone bad."[6] He was originally planned to play all of It's forms, not just the clown; however, the crew thought it was more efficient to have different actors play the other forms so they did not have to take up so much time dealing with makeup changes.[12]

Because of the amount of makeup Curry's character required, he had the earliest call time of all the actors.[12] On each shooting day, it took at least three hours for him to take off his make-up and get out of his costume.[8] Curry's performance unnerved the cast and crew so much they avoided him as much as possible while on set.[13] While waiting between shots, Curry would be chain-smoking and showing his sharp teeth if one of the child actors got too close to him. As Perkins recalled, "He really tried to intimidate us, because he wanted the fear to be real in our performances."[7] However, Wallace recalled having a pleasant time working with Curry: "Tim was always well-prepared, easy on set, patient and low-key."[7]

In a 2015 interview with Moviefone, Curry called the role of Pennywise "a wonderful part", giving his blessing to would-be successor Will Poulter, who ultimately dropped out.[14] Bill Skarsgård replaced him, and while being interviewed at Fan Expo Canada, Curry gave his approval, saying that "I like [Bill] Skarsgård. I think he's very clever. It'll be interesting to see what sort of clown face he puts on. because it's not an obvious clown face at all.[..] So I'm fascinated to see it."[15]
The Losers
John Ritter had made several attempts to appear in a King adaptation before he worked on It.

    Richard Thomas portrays Bill Denbrough, the stuttering founder of the Losers Club whose desire to kill Pennywise is heavily influenced by the death of his younger brother Georgie. As an adult, he is a bestselling horror writer who lives in the United Kingdom before returning to Derry to face It in the present time. Stephen King fan himself, Thomas easily related with the character he portrayed, as he was an easily frightened kid and had an imagination "so vivid that I could scare myself about just about anything. And I've never been particularly fond of snakes."[16] Jonathan Brandis, who played young Bill, described his role the hardest he had ever done, especially when it came to performing the stuttering.[17]
    Annette O'Toole portrays Beverly Marsh, the only female member of the Losers Club, and a fashion designer who has lived both in an abusive family and an abusive relationship. O'Toole was cast in the film at the suggestion of Ritter, with whom she had recently shot The Dreamer of Oz, and she recalled the process happening very quickly.[7] "What I loved about the character was the way she dealt with this terrible, lonely and abusive childhood she had and the way she found a family with these other kids," O'Toole commented. "She kind of gets into this club, and it doesn't really matter that she's a girl. They accept her, and she finds a group of really kindred souls."[18] Describing the actors' interaction off the set, Ritter commented: "It was fun to refer to Annette as the 'it' girl when we went to restaurants together. She was the only woman with us and people thought it was kind of strange for six men to be out with one woman."[19] Emily Perkins portrays young Beverly Marsh.
    John Ritter portrays Ben Hanscom, an architect who became a bodybuilder after being obese as a child. Ritter had previously worked with Thomas on The Waltons. Ritter related to the role of Ben; as a child, he also called his friends "losers" during his most depressed moments.[16] This was Ritter's first horror production, which excited him: "The thing I like about horror is you have to ask: Can I take it? It's like going on a roller-coaster ride. How far can you hang over the edge before you have to pull back? It's the idea that there is this dark side."[20] A huge King fan after the novel Carrie was released, Ritter made multiple attempts to appear in a King screen adaptation before It, all of which failed; his most recent of these was trying to get in touch with George A. Romero to star in a later-rejected theatrical version of The Stand Romero was planned to direct.[20][21] Ritter then heard about a feature-length version of It in development and asked his manager, "Tell them [ABC] I'll play any part they want me to. I'll play the girl."[20] Initially, Ritter was unable to appear in the miniseries as casting began just as he started filming The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story (1990).[20] However, the casting was postponed following Romero's leave of the It project (see Development), which opened space for him to get the part of Ben.[20] The young version of Ben is played by Brandon Crane, who, like Ritter, also connected with the character he played; he was raised without a dad and bullied for being fat at school in real life.[22] Crane would later cameo in It Chapter Two (2019) as a working assistant for the adult Ben Hanscom, who was played by Jay Ryan in the film.[23]
    Harry Anderson portrays Richie Tozier, the comedic relief of the group who works as a late-night talk show host and did funny impressions of real-life figures as a child. Anderson used improvisation with delivering one-liners for his character, and even made a directing suggestion to Wallace for a moment where all the Losers Club members hug Bill except for Richie; Wallace wasn't sure about the decision at first, but Anderson's idea was executed in the final cut as Richie was the only cynical member of the group after Stan's death.[12] Seth Green plays young Richie.
    Dennis Christopher portrays Eddie Kaspbrak, an asthmatic limousine service runner who has lived with his overbearing mother into his adult life. Jim Carrey was originally considered for the character before Christoper was chosen.[12] Adam Faraizl plays Young Eddie.
    Tim Reid portrays Mike Hanlon, the only black person in the Losers Club, as well as the only one to remain in Derry following the Losers Club's first defeat of It in 1960. Working as a librarian in the town, he calls all of the Losers to return to Derry 30 years later. David Alan Grier was initially considered for the role of Mike before Reid was cast.[12] The young version of Mike is portrayed by Marlon Taylor, who recalled going through "two auditions and three or four callbacks before I was told that I had the part of young Mike."[7]
    Richard Masur portrays Stanley Uris, a real estate broker who was a Jewish Boy Scout as a kid. Due to the character's early death, Masur has far less screen time than the other Loser actors. Ben Heller, who played young Stan, only had local theatre experience, small parts in 21 Jump Street and Wiseguy, and no commercial or modeling experience before auditioning for It. He got the role after his third read to the casting director, receiving the call claiming he got the part just after his seventeenth birthday.[24] Masur and Thomas previously appeared together in The Waltons episode "The System in 1974.

Given that the shooting entailed an adult cast with child counterparts, Wallace sought to have the adult actors meet with the children playing the younger versions of their characters: "We made a point of bringing the adult and children actors together for a couple of days, even though it was costly, since the adults and the kids have no scenes together."[7] For Ritter and Crane, the two looked very different, which meant they had to make similar the young and adult versions of Ben through actions and facial expressions.[25]
Supporting cast
Olivia Hussey portrays Bill Denbrough's wife Audra.

Because It was filmed in Vancouver, most of the supporting cast consists of actors well known in Canadian media and theater; exceptions include British actress Olivia Hussey as Bill's wife Audra, Tony Dakota as his brother Georgie Denbrough, and Michael Cole as Henry Bowers. Jarred Blancard played the young version of Henry; he hated having to call the character Mike Hanlon the "Nigger", often apologizing to the actor playing young Mike, Marlon Taylor, for repeatedly using the word during practice. The two actors remained friends after filming had wrapped.[12] The number of the Bowers Gang are reduced from six in the novel to five for the miniseries: Gabe Khouth as Victor Criss and Chris Eastman as Belch Huggins, while the actors of Peter Gordon and Moose Sadler go uncredited.

Other relatives of members of the Loser Clubs include Sheila Moore as Eddie's mother Ms. Kaspbrak; Michael Ryan as Beverly's abusive boyfriend Tom Rogan; Frank C. Turner as her just-as-abusive father Alvin Marsh; Caitlin Hicks as Stanley's wife Patti; Steven Hilton and Sheelah Megill as Bill's parents Zack and Sharon respectively; Noel Geer as Cousin Bradley; Susan Astley as Aunt Jean; and Claire Vardiel as Ben's mother Arlene Hanscom.

Chelan Simmons, who played Pennywise's first victim Laurie Ann Winterbarger, had her first non-commercial experience with It; she would later be known for appearing in several 21st-century budget horror films and a 2002 telefilm version of Carrie.[26] Due to her fear of clowns, she has admitted to never seeing the miniseries or reading the original novel.[26] The girl's mother is portrayed by Merrilyn Gann. Two Gemini Award winners, Nicola Cavendish and Venus Terzo, appear as a desk clerk and Ben's woman, Lyndi, respectively. Terence Kelly, who portrays officer Nell, was nominated for a Gemini for another role as an officer in Reg Serge.

Two actors later known from The X-Files appear in It: William B. Davis as Mr. Gedreau, and Megan Leitch as a library aide Richie talks to while being taunted by Pennywise. Other well-known Canadian actors in the miniseries include Laura Harris as Loni; Garry Chalk, most known for voice acting, as Eddie's gym class coach; Jay Brazeau as a taxi driver; Tom Heaton as Mr. Keene; Paul Batten as his grandson; Donna Peerless as teacher Miss Douglas; and Kim Kondrashoff, Helena Yea, and Charles Siegel as Joey, Eddie's chauffeur, Rose, the waitress at the Chinese restaurant, and Nat, Richie's agent, respectively.
Context

    A horror sci-fi miniseries these days is as rare as moon rocks, as few and far between as known inhabited planets.
    — A 1990 review of It from The Hollywood Reporter.[27]

    TV's inherent timidity, its fear of going too far and driving away viewers, is in direct contrast to the purpose of horror, which is to go so far that it scares the people who watch it.
    — A contemporaneous It review explaining horror's difficulty in television.[28]

King was strongly dismayed at the limited market for horror on television, and had low expectations once the miniseries was greenlit.

There was only one television version of a Stephen King story before It, that being the 1979 adaptation of 'Salem's Lot (1975), directed by Tobe Hooper.[7] Although critically acclaimed,[29] it did not change King's negative view of horror television, as he still believed that the format was "too institutionally fainthearted and unimaginative to handle real horror" in 1983.[30] This skepticism continued into the mid-1980s when he wrote and published It (1986), and despite its success, he never thought a television version of the book would happen, as TV had a censorship rule not to show children in jeopardy, a major theme in It.[30][31]

It was written over four years[32] by King with inspirations from the story "Three Billy Goats Gruff"[33] and legends about Bangor, Maine's sewer system.[34] Despite garnering a polarized critical response for its huge number of pages and bizarre sexual sequences,[34] It was the best-selling hardcover fiction book in the United States in 1986, according to Publishers Weekly;[35] and a British Fantasy Award winner.[36]

King's predictions that a TV version of the book would not happen turned out to be false, though justified according to newspaper critic Matt Roush.[5] At the end of the 1980s, a horror product of any kind was an unlikely gamble for a network.[5] The television market was dominated by sitcoms, soap operas, and fictional presentations of real life events; there were series like Freddy's Nightmares (1988–90) and Friday the 13th: The Series (1987–90), but they were often hampered by network censorship, commercial breaks, low budgets, and "cheesy execution."[5]

Other factors increased the risk of a network doing a film or miniseries version of a King story in the late 1980s to 1990; theatrical King screen transfers were performing poorly at the box office,[37] and big TV events like miniseries or films were becoming far less important to viewers due to a rise in VCR ownership by 20 percent from 1985 to 1990.[38] This resulted in channels like ABC taking several cost-cutting measures, such as adding more regular series to its lineup.[38]

Some critics also questioned the airing of a horror film like It on television, a format much easier for children to access than theaters due to less parental and government restrictions.[39][40]

King described his expectations of the miniseries being "in the basement. Here was a book that sprawled over 1,000 pages, and they were going to cram it into four hours, with commercials."

Pre-production

    "We're taking some chances with It, but the networks may be learning there's an audience for heightened evenings. People are hip and savvy, they've seen it all. What David Letterman did with the talk show, Twin Peaks did with the drama. It's a different arena now, with cable and all, and they've got to compete."

Ritter in a July 1990 interview predicting It's purpose in the television market[5]

Hollywood significantly increased their interest in screen adaptations of King's work after the box office success of Pet Sematary (1989), and several of went into development;[31] around this time, ABC had acquired the rights to a television miniseries of It and green-lit it to be an eight-to-ten-hour miniseries. One reason, according to Lawrence D. Cohen, was that it was "the heyday of networks adapting lengthy novels for TV."[7] ABC film chief Allen Sabinson explained that they chose to produce It as a previous film based on a King story about children, Stand by Me (1986), was a success.[41] The producers were also focused on the story's drama aspects,[41] likely due to most viewers leaning towards drama productions in 1990.[42]

It was made at a time when the television landscape was making a slight change into unusual styles, as indicated by the popularity of shows like David Lynch's Twin Peaks (1990–91) and Tales from the Crypt (1989–96).[5] Twin Peaks was constantly referenced in discussions between the cast and crew of It during shooting.[5] As Tommy Lee Wallace recalled, "It brought everyone's attention to the fact that it doesn't have to be like and look like and act like everything else to succeed. You can break new ground – not with hard-core violence or nudity, necessarily – but just by being different and strange, which I certainly am trying to bring to It."[5] At the same time, CBS was taking similar chances with the horror film Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990), which aired in the same month as It and also featured Olivia Hussey, who played Audra in It.[5]
Development
George A. Romero was originally planned to be It's director, but his scheduling conflicts and the miniseries' length decrease influenced him to drop out of the project.

George A. Romero had originally been signed on to direct the project, which at the time ABC had planned for an eight-to-ten-hour series that would run over four two-hour blocks.[7] On June 1, 1989, ABC announced that the miniseries would be six hours and directed by Romero, with no cast planned.[43] A July 1989 announcement published in the Houston Chronicle indicates that the miniseries was originally planned to be set in "small-town Massachusetts" instead of Derry.[44]

In an interview published in January 1990, ABC's Dan Doran described It as a "long-range development project, and it's not even a firm, 100% commitment yet."[31] He also revealed Romero's involvement to be "tentative."[31] However, Romero described himself as being incredibly involved in the project: "I worked with the effects guys. I did [story] boards. I must have thousands of pages of scripts and notes." However, a scheduling conflict with his 1990 remake of Night of the Living Dead (1968)[45] resulted in him having to leave the project just after ABC decreased the length of the miniseries to four hours.[46] His exit initially upset him because it reminded him of his time being dropped from Pet Sematary.[45] However, he stated in 1993 that he appreciated his leave, feeling that the length decrease lessened the likely "impact" of the miniseries' final product.[46] The producers were also worried about Romero making the miniseries too graphic for television.[47]

The producers "lost their nerve" from how much work they could be faced doing an eight-to-ten hour miniseries.[7] Thus, ABC condensed it to a three-part series, before shortly after making it a two-part miniseries once Tommy Lee Wallace was signed on to direct after reading a draft of the first part of Cohen's script.[7]
Writing

Cohen, who had previously written the film adaptation of Carrie in 1976, was hired to write It, receiving a manuscript of the novel that was sent to his New York apartment in 1986 before the book was published.[7] Although King had multiple drafts of the script sent to him by Cohen, he had little to no involvement in the writing of the miniseries.[7] Cohen's early drafts rejected the flashback format of the book, where the first night would show the Losers as kids and the second part as adults.[48] He originally planned for the spider form to be hinted at in part one when Pennywise was hit by the rock, but the idea was scrapped.[7] Cohen also initially wrote the second episode as, according to Wallace, "a very interior melodrama" that differed heavily from the novel and where Tom Rogan played a much bigger role in the plot.[7]

In reading Cohen's draft, Wallace initially avoided reading the book to get an objective view of it: "I knew I was dealing with people who had been intimately involved with the book for years."[49] After noticing many issues in the script, especially in the second part,[7] Wallace gave Cohen an offer to rewrite his drafts; however, that would have required Cohen to take a three-week trip to the miniseries' Vancouver production location, which his schedule would not permit[49] as he was involved in other projects.[7] This led Wallace to have to re-write the script himself and use the book as reference, which turned out to fix all of the original drafts' issues.[49] As Wallace explained, "One of the things I believe I contributed in my rewrite was just packing in as much of what was memorable about the book."[49] He added the flashback structuring from the book into the script and made sure the screenplay for the second part "maintain[ed] some of the rhythm" of the first.[49]
Changes from the novel

Given the length of the King novel, which runs 1,138 pages,[50] a great deal of material was left out of Cohen's 215-page screenplay,[6] including subplots concerning the personal lives of the adult characters and a scene in which the young male members of the Loser's Club each lose their virginity to Beverly.[7] Cohen, while upset about the material that did not make it in the final cut, also opined, "the best moments from the book made the cut and the rest are casualties of war."[7] Themes of friendship and loyalty were distorted in the miniseries in order to appeal to non-horror TV viewers.[5]

O'Toole has admitted to disliking the removal of the Losers' orgy scene: "This was their greatest attachment to one another – she thought they were all going to die, and this was a gift she was giving to each one of them, and I thought it was the most beautiful, generous love-filled gift, and it tied them all together in such an amazing way."[18] Cohen retrospectively admitted that he wished he was permitted to write an ending different from the novel's: "If I had to do it over again, my instinct would be to find a way to have the adults confront Pennywise in another way, in all his shapeshifting glory."[7]

One major change King disliked but had to deal with was the decreased amount of depth of the main characters, particularly Richie Tozier, who was altered from a Los Angeles DJ into a television show comedian.[51] He found the miniseries' version of Richie to have only two dimensions: "scumbag" and "sort of a kindhearted Buddy Hackett."[51] However, Wallace and Cohen retained the centrality of Pennywise in the source novel; as noted by film scholar Tony Magistrale in Hollywood's Stephen King, the made-for-television movie retains the "association between the adult world of Derry and It [which] is further established in the masterful choice of a carnival clown as a unifying symbol for the various creatures representing the monster."[52]
Production
Filming

    We really felt like we were in Derry. All the exterior stuff was done in Stanley Park and I remember being amazed it was so woodsy and so far removed.
    — Crane, 2015[18]

The Lost Lagoon served as It's filming location for the Captain Hanscom scene.

It was shot over a three-month summer period in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.[6][53] Green set the budget at $12 million, double the usual television film,[19] to give It a major motion picture feel.[41] Filming locations in Vancouver included Stanley Park, Beaver Lake and Saint Thomas Aquinas High School Convent in North Vancouver.[54] The Buntzen Lake Hydro Plant, in particular, was used as the miniseries' sewer plant.[12]

For the opening scene where Laurie Winterbarger is eaten by Pennywise, Simmons' shots were done while Curry wasn't on set; Wallace stood at the laundry area of the backyard giving her simple directions for emotions.[26] However, she still met Curry via read-throughs and while in her trailer after the shot: "while walking down the sidewalk Tim walked by in the full clown costume—make up and all. He turned to me and said "Hi!" in a very friendly voice, but it still scared me half to death!"[26] Similarly, the scene where Patti Uris finds her husband dead in the tub (done on the first shooting day) involved Uris not being on set for shots of Caitlin Hicks' reaction.[55] The Captain Hanscom sequence in the first part was shot at the Lost Lagoon, which involved Makaj on a platform just below the water surface to give the illusion of the character standing on water.[56] The shots of the captain's corpse were done when Crane wasn't on set.[57]

Filming It was not without difficult sequences. The scene where the blood-filled balloon explodes in Beverly's bathroom required multiple takes due to how difficult it was to get the timing of the explosion right.[7] The theater scene took many retakes and much waiting, so Curry went on the stage and entertained the child extras with singalongs, all unaware he was playing a monster character in the miniseries.[12] Shooting the last sewer scene was tough for the adult actors, as they had to deal with walking in an area filled with rust likely infected with tetanus.[12] The final scene with Bill and Audra Denbrough took days to rehearse, a library scene with all the adult actors involved some slight injuries due to the number of objects randomly flying around the place, while the photo album scene where Pennywise comes to life was the hardest scene to shoot for Wallace.[12]
Directing
Tommy Lee Wallace had previously worked with John Carpenter (pictured), and much of Wallace's directing for It was inspired by Carpenter's work.

In explaining why directing a screen version of a King story was difficult, Wallace summarized, "Stephen King is so good with language that he can make almost anything sound incredibly scary. Some of King's images translate to film. Some are simply ethereal, like smoke."[6]

A lot of Wallace's directing was influenced by films he worked on with John Carpenter, such as Halloween (1978) and The Fog (1980).[12] He made several technical and staging decisions just to make each scene scarier or weird.[12] These included interesting camera tricks, such as the Chinese restaurant scene being shot with a handheld camera; and shots where It goes through pipes filmed as if they were from It's point of view, a decision inspired by Wallace's past experiences working with Carpenter.[12]

The Chinese restaurant sequence was shot in only one take and involved the actors not being aware what was going to happen so that "our expressions were all real," explained Reid.[7] As Wallace explained, "The fortune cookie scene is an example of how to get great scare-power out of fairly humble, low-budget special effects. A trick table, puppeteers underneath, a handful of creepy little cookie models, a group of characters taken by surprise. So much depended on the details."[7]

When it came to the Ms. Kersh scene, Wallace place several incidental details, such as Mrs. Kersh's teeth being rotten like Pennywise's, to give the audience a clue something was up; the scene also ends with Beverly Marsh in the middle of the street, with intentionally no extras around to add to the creep factor.[12] Wallace also chose to make the furniture in Stanley Uris' house odd to signify something being wrong with the character.[12]
Special effects

Gene Warren's effects company Fantasy II were in the middle of working on Predator 2 (1990) when ABC assigned the company to work on It with a deadline of 12 weeks.[10] The effects team of It included Warren, who handled the visual effects;[58] Bart Mixon, who coordinated the makeup effects[58] and Pennywise's animated deadlights;[59] Jo-Anne Smith, who had previously worked on Curry's make-up for his role in Legend (1985);[8] Salty Ray; J.C. Matalon; and the Fantasy II effects team run by Warren's son, Gene Warren Jr., and including Jim McLoughlln, Aaron Sim, Brent Baker, Norman Cabrera, and Joey Orosco.[58] Fantasy II had previously worked on a feature also directed by Wallace titled Fright Night Part 2 (1988) and another King adaptation named Pet Sematary (1989).[58]

The majority of the special effects were done practically without digital alteration,[7] such as puppeteers being used to animate the fortune cookies in the Chinese restaurant scene.[12] Some scenes were done with replacement animation, an animation technique similar to stop motion animation.[7] Replacement animation was used for when Pennywise came out of the drain, killed Belch in the sewers, and did a somersault in the air.[12] A lot of the effects Wallace planned to use while storyboarding did not make it into the final version for budget reasons, such as the roots writhing around Pennywise in his ghostly encounter with the adult Losers in the sewer.[12] Lindsay Craig, an artist who made a living doing prop work in film and television, created some of the blood for It using food coloring, water, and methacyl.[6]

While It's lair features many cocooned humans, Sally Ray and J.C. Matalon sculpted only six of them, four children and two adults, for close-up shots.[60]

To work with the deadline, Mixon divided the design team of each It creature into four artists: "Each artist was given a considerable amount of freedom with his creations, with occasional input from Warren or myself to make sure we were adhering to Wallace's vision."[61]
Pennywise
The appearance of Pennywise was based on Lon Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera (1925).[7]

When designing Pennywise, Mixon focused on making him look as "friendly" as possible: "This creature is trying to lure children in, so he's not going to be a monster at first."[7] He began drawing concepts for how Pennywise would look before Curry was cast, researching the looks of most other clowns in the process.[62] Original storyboards for Pennywise featured exaggerated cheekbones, a sharp chin, and bulbous forehead.[7]
The Losers Club watch as Pennywise goes down the drain after his head was cracked open. Multiple effect techniques can be seen in this shot, such as rotoscoping for Pennywise's deadlights, the incorporation of a stop-motion puppet into a live-action shot, and a visual of one of Mixon's original head designs for the clown that only can be seen on the puppet.

Mixon began working on a head cast for the Pennywise character after Curry was cast in the role; he also designed three clay molds for testing. According to Mixon, he based the shape of Pennywise's head on Lon Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera (1925), "stylized into a clown."[7] Three different versions of the clown's face were created, one of which resembled a hobo clown, another that was "a little meaner," and the final one seen in the series.[7]

Mixon then worked with Curry on the makeup and tested two concepts: one with just a nose, headpiece, and a make-up pattern Curry suggested; and another one that was closer to the original designs.[62] The former was chosen, although the other make-up choice is featured in the final cut when Pennywise is sprayed with battery acid.[62] Instead of traditional clown make-up, PAX paint was used for makeup[62] that made Pennywise look "almost like a living cartoon."[7]

According to director Wallace, "Tim [Curry] objected strongly to all the rubber. He had recently been in several movies which covered him in prosthetics and I'm sure he felt all the glue and latex would just get in his way. He was right, of course. With those eyes, and that mouth, and his crazy, sardonic sense of humor, less turned out to be more in the makeup department."[7] However, the bulbous forehead was kept to give the character "a supernatural aspect without getting in the way."[7] Getting the clown faces right also depended on some of the actor's own efforts, to the point where he had to do a day of training of not only getting into the character but also practicing the faces.[63] Small adjustments to Pennywise's face, such as on his mouth and the eyebrows ("the hardest thing to get right" according to Curry), were still being made in the first five days of shooting.[8]

In the scenes when the clown became vicious, Curry wore yellow lenses[64] and two sets of sharp teeth throughout shooting: a smaller set he could talk while wearing, and a less flexible but far bigger set for more horrifying shots.[7] The teeth were designed by Jim McLoughlin.[65] Wallace originally did not want Pennywise to switch into a "horror" look but rather maintain the "nice" clown look throughout the miniseries,[64] but this idea was dropped.

Dan Platt sculpted a puppet replication of Pennywise specifically for the stop motion scenes, with painting done by Mixon and the hair by Jack Bricker.[66] Rotoscoping was used for Pennywise's "dead light" effects in the first part of the miniseries.[64]
Werewolf

Norman Cabrera sculpted the design of the werewolf.[10] Because Wallace did not want it to look like a usual "Howling type of creature," Mixon instructed Cabrera to make "a slicker, '90s version" of the wolf from the 1950s film Richie viewed.[10] The makeup used for the werewolf character was kept simple, consisting only of a spandex hood mask, gloves, and hair tied around the neck all put together through KY Jelly; this was done to suit the limited application time and "the nature of the shots."[10] Jack Bricker created the wolf's hair, and Mimi Cabrera made stylistic additions.[60] Aaron Sims painted three sets of false eyes for the wolf; a "beauty pair" for close-up shots, a "stunt pair" that had the pupils "drilled out," and a set of glowing eyes. Only the "stunt" and "beauty" pairs are seen in the final miniseries.[10]
Mrs. Kersh

For the part when Mrs. Kersh is revealed to be Alvin Marsh's corpse, Florence Peterson was still playing the character.[60] Cabrera was responsible for the Marsh part of Kersh's make-up, composed of two face pieces, one teeth piece, false fingernail pieces, one neck piece, two pieces on the back of the hands, and an "empty eyesocket" piece.[60] Mixon handled a PAX paint layer of the makeup.[60] As Mixon explained, "Director Wallace wanted an empty eyesocket look for Al, so Cabrera sculpted rot inside the sockets and then burned tiny holes through the foam for the actor to see through."[60]
Stanley's refrigerator head

The scene when the Losers find Stanley's severed head in the refrigerator was done via a split screen effect; it consists of one shot of Masur wearing a Jim-McLoughlin-designed "severed neck" with black areas filled in by another shot of the refrigerator without the actor.[65] McLoughlin also created a dummy head of Stan used for wide shots.[65]
The spider

    I had a problem with the spider. King was able to conjure it up in his head, but it was difficult to bring to the screen. We set the tone and parameters in the first part of the movie with Pennywise. But when you get to the spider, you move into a different world. It was supposed to be a horror movie, not Jason and the Argonauts.
    — Warren, 2015[7]

Producing and shooting It's final spider form required a budget of $200,000[67] and 13 weeks of time.[68] It began with Mixon coming up with the idea of a "soft and fleshy" spiderlike creature. Joey Orosco, with some help from Henry Mayo,[69] used his idea to create a design that included the abdomen and multiple limbs of a spider; and shoulders, hips, and torso-attaching legs of a human; the body parts went through more than 16 concept sculptures.[65] In addition to painting the entire creature, Orsco mold the torso, arms, and head;[60] while the spider's legs and abdomen were sculpted by Sims.[69] Sims also molded a stop-motion replica of the spider, with an armature built by Mike Joyce, used for nine split-screen, rear projection, and tabletop shots supervised by Warren.[69][68]

As Wallace explained, the spider was far less "beefy and muscular" and more "lean and mean" then what was in the concept drawings; its face was also not supposed to be as visible as it was in the final cut, although he blames himself for letting that happen.[7] As Mixon described the 500-pound,[67] 250-foot[16] radio-controlled[58] spider, "They've had some other creatures on TV but I can't think of anything just this big or this neat."[67] Its odd design and unusually large size caught the attention of Canadian customs officials when it reached the US-Canada border of White Rock during its relocation from Los Angeles to a sound stage at The Bridge Studios; the officials delayed the operation.[67]

Brent Baker was inside the spider, previously going through three months of training in using it, where there was a video monitor showing him how the spider was moving: "It got a little stuffy, but they had a place where they could stick in a little hose if I wanted water or some fresh air."[11] Baker got really uncomfortable when the spider had to do multiple shots of the roll-over movement, as he would have to lay on his side while the crew set up another shot.[11] Dave Kindlon's mechanics of the spider required control by various operators for different body parts; the head was radio-controlled by three people, the legs were operated by six people, one person operated the arms, one handled the deadlights, and others handled the movement of the entire spider.[68]

As Mixon described controlling the spider, "We used a certain amount of animatronics for the head, and the body had some of my crew members inside it. Once we got it into place, we couldn't move it around too much, because it was pretty unwieldy. For some reason, they shot it in super slow motion, so it's no wonder it looks like it's not moving! It was capable of more than what you saw onscreen."[7]

The final spider figure disappointed both the cast and Wallace.[7][15][13] On set, Thomas called the spider a "diva," Ritter mocked it as a "muppet from hell,"[16] and O'Toole recalled most of the cast calling it the "Alaskan king crab."[18] King also disliked the spider, mocking it as "three Chevy headlights on the bottom of a wheelbarrow." The effects artists made touches after King revealed his disappointment during production.[30]

As the producers were about to throw away the spider, Bart's father Tom rushed to Fantasy II to obtain it; as of January 1993, the spider resided in a Houston, Texas, warehouse owned by Bart's parents Tom and Barbara.[59]
Music
The use of a hair dryer gave Bellis the idea to use a major seventh as the first interval for It's title theme.

It was composer Richard Bellis' first score since his career "came to a screeching halt for some unknown reason" in 1984.[70] He was in the fourth year of owning a woodwork business when getting the call to score the miniseries.[70] The score took five weeks to compose and produce.[70] Bellis recorded four-days worth of orchestra parts performed by various ensembles that had 55 players at most, and the electronic instruments were tracked at Ray Colcord's home studio.[71]

Bellis' use of motifs and ostinatos in It were inspired by the works of Bernard Herrmann.[70] The music features motifs of not only each Loser and Pennywise but also themes of nostalgia and the difference between the past and the present.[71] In presenting the story's varied tone, the score mixes together adventurous orchestra motifs (especially so for the music of the last showdown between It and the Losers),[72] horror synthesizer pieces, circus music, big band jazz, creepy sound design touches,[71] and trumpet-heavy music accompanying the setting of Derry.[72]

Bellis took a long time figuring out the first interval of the title theme, since he considered the use of a tritone overused in horror.[70] Then, one day, he spontaneously chose the interval to be a major seventh after he heard it on the hairdryer he was using.[70] The scrapbook seen in the title sequence influenced how he composed the theme: "I do remember being struck by the fact that it was not like other scrapbooks, filled with happy memories. The pages were sparse and the sequence mostly in black & white."[70] The producers and Wallace initially intended The Impressions' cover of "The Way You Do the Things You Do" to be the title song, but it is instead played in the sequence where the Losers build a dam in the final cut.[70]

The choice of calliope, drums, and bells for Pennywise's circus theme was obvious to Bellis; however, how he would use the bright-toned circus instruments was challenging in composing the theme for an evil clown. As Bellis described his thinking process, "Does the music have to be evil too? Besides, calliope music is usually very busy— I use this instrument as a scoring instrument or will that just be distracting? Maybe I can use it in a register lower than an actual calliope is capable of playing and just with single notes. And what about a sort of "demented" carousel? Maybe I can create something that uses my major seventh interval?"[70]

In the beginning of It, Winterbarger sings "Itsy Bitsy Spider" while riding on a bike,[26] which foreshadows the titular antagonist's spider form.[73]

Wallace and the producers disliked the score (particularly the title music) according to Bellis.[70]

The first release of the score was in February 1996, but only as a 16-minute suite on the album Richard Bellis: Film Music Volume 1.[74] Then, a 2-CD release of the TV movie's complete score by Richard Bellis was released on November 15, 2011, by Intrada Records,[72] and is volume 184 of the label's special collection.[71] On October 31, 2016, Warner Brothers, as part of their Archive Collection Series, issued the score in a shorter, one-tracklist version on CD and Spotify.[70] In 2017, Waxwork Records issued the entire score for the first time on vinyl.[75] A six-minute suite of the score, along with a six-minute outtake recording of an orchestra session, can be heard on Bellis' website.[76]

On October 18, 2016, guitarist Eric Calderone released his electric guitar cover of Bellis' circus theme for It....t's content in relation to television restrictions
Main articles: It (novel) § Themes, and It (2017 film) § Themes

    You'll know that this is no slasher film where stupid teenagers almost volunteer to be victims and bleed all over the screen. This is the terror of the unnatural, delivered by threats and special effects, not by corpses.
    — John Hanauer, 1990[78]

AllMovie suggested It pushed the television barriers not only with its amount of blood, but also with its themes of child endangerment.[79]

As It was a television production, its content had to follow Broadcast Standards and Practices.[7] This limited the amount of violence, gore, and blood displayed, and how it was presented. For instance, since blood could not come out of body orifices, blood instead had to come out of physical objects such as sinks and photo books.[16] Mixon re-called that, when designing the skeleton Ben encountered, ABC did not want the skeleton to be wet and have muscles hanging off of it. However, the skeleton was supposed to be wet as it had just emerged from a river.[58][7] To get around the problem, Mixon decided to replace the skeleton meat with seaweed.[58] As Mixon explained, "They just didn't want any [wet] gore, although rot and decay was okay."[7] The biggest broadcast rule the makers of It had to loophole around was not to show kids in jeopardy, which was a major issue as kids facing deadly situations was a prominent theme of the story.[7] An example of this is Georgie's death; he could not have his arm shown to be ripped off, so it had to only be implied through dialogue.[7]

The censorship It dealt with made it more of a psychological horror product, something different from most popular horror productions at the time.[16] Most of this horror is executed through the titular villain and the scared expressions of the Losers Club actors.[16] Philip Rosenthal wrote that in order to be scared of It, "it is necessary to embrace the fantasy that such an evil entity could exist and cloud minds the way It does."[80] The lack of graphic content It could display also resulted its story to be very character-orientated for its genre.[81][82] Like the original novel, It deals with multiple themes related to childhood: children's safety issues,[83] trauma adults unconsciously place on kids,[84] the importance of friendship,[19][85] and childhood fears that continue into adulthood.[19] The Losers face problems of bullying, abusive parenting, racism, and lack of adult attention to the sudden increase of child deaths.[86] They are connected as outsiders dealing with similar levels of traumatic situations, and they work together to overcome those traumatic feelings by defeating "It," a symbol of their inner fears.[28]

It also features comic touches to its otherwise scary plot[87][88] and was labeled by a 2019 retrospective review as being a campy production for its "fake-looking" It forms, the over-the-top performances of the main cast, and bizarre story elements, such as adults being terrified by balloons.[89] Curry's performance of Pennywise is also cited as a reason for unintentional hilarity,[87] as it combines horror, black comedy, and cheeriness.[90] In addition to his odd methods of transportation, such as popping out of sinks, storm drains, and shower heads,[87] Pennywise appears and acts like a regular circus clown, instead of a malevolent extraterrestrial being. However, this very appearance in combination with his evil acts is recognized as the major element of terror in the miniseries.[91][92]
Reception
Broadcast

ABC originally did not want King seeing the footage of It until after it was broadcast; however, the author threatened the network that he would not do any promotional interviews if he did not see it first. King explained in a September 1990 Fangoria interview that he had seen the first hour of the miniseries, and that the rest was currently being edited.[51] His reasoning for checking on the miniseries' progress was, "It's my damn book and I worked on it for three years."[51]

It was initially planned to air on ABC in May 1990[93] before being moved to the "sweeps month" of November,[94] specifically the nights of November 18[95] and November 20.[96] That weekend, It and other network programs had to contend with many cut-ins of coverage of president George H. W. Bush's European trips, such as meetings with Václav Havel and Helmut Kohl; and his visit with troops in the Persian Gulf.[97]

Just before the broadcast, a variety of predictions were made by television writers about how big It's ratings would be. Journalist Janos D. Froelich analyzed the final product of It as looking cheaper than ABC's previous sweeps month big events, which made her less faithful about it being successful.[38] Mike Drew suggested that while the star power could increase the miniseries' chances of succeeding, its content was "probably too tamed-down by TV requirements" to gain its primary target horror demographic.[37] However, Joan Hanauer suggested the program would be "a natural ratings grabber" for its "good clean horror fun,"[78] and Greg Paeth forecasted that it could bring in curious King fans.[98]

It turned out to be the biggest success of 1990 for Capital Cities, owner of ABC, garnering nearly 30 million viewers over its two-night premiere.[7] Part 1 was the fifth highest rated program of the week with an 18.5/29 rating/share, and being watched in 17.5 million households.[95] Part 2 was the second highest rated program of the week with a 20.6/33 rating/share, and watched in 19.2 million households.[96] During a time when recording television programs on tape with VCR was becoming a commonly-practiced activity in family homes, the second part of It was the most taped program of the month of November, with 1.96 million tape machines detected by A.C. Nielsen to be recording it.[99] In a year where traditional television films like Decoration Day (1990) and The Incident (1990) garnered the most viewers, It was the only non-safe fare on 1990 to obtain the high ratings it received.[42]

In France, the miniseries aired on M6 on October 16, 1993, under the title Il est revenu, French for He Came Back.[100] When it aired on BBC One in the United Kingdom in 1994, part one garnered 6.6 million viewers; and the second part became the eleventh-most viewed program of the period of May 29 to August 14, 1994, by attracting 7.6 million watchers.[101]
Pre-broadcast reviews

Television experts reported "rave"[42] and not-so-fond reviews of It from television critics.[6] Farrell Peter The Oregonian honored It as "the best horror show ever made for network television, and among the better miniseries of any genre offered this year,"[102] praising its multi-layered story and performances.[103] Some critics called it one of the far better King films.[104][81][105][19] The Cincinnati Post labeled it "one of the creepiest productions put together for broadcast TV" (although opined it to be nothing more than for "thrills and chills"),[106] and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writer Eric Mink cherished it as "a gripping, bloody horror romp that will leave most of your major muscle groups aching from long stretches of constant tension."[107] Matt Roush of USA Today categorized It as "the mini-series equivalent of those Saturday matinee shockers that merrily warped a generation before Freddy and Jason began stalking their more graphic turf."[108] Both David Zurawik of The Baltimore Sun and Ron Miller of the Press-Telegram enjoyed It for working both as a straightforward scary miniseries and a very deep story,[109][39] Zurawik highlighting its many "finely crafted" mythic and religious undertones.[39]

Some critics highlighted its priority on character development over the typical horror traits of blood and gore,[81][110][82] Richmond elaborating it was "all the more disturbing and believable by the fact that we are forced to care about these people as individuals."[110] Many reviewers spotlighted some of the scare moments of the miniseries, often using the Chinese restaurant sequence as an example.[111][1][85][112] Particularly appreciated in some reviews was the miniseries' horrification of everyday objects and scenarios, such as shower heads and photo galleries.[109][80] Times Union writer Steve Bornfeld recommended it for its freaky visuals and "effective cast," particularly Curry: "With his razor-sharp teeth and bloody balloons, Curry delicately balances clown-like cheer and pure evil, exploiting the freak show side of clowns that can terrify children."[112] Julia Keller of The Columbus Dispatch applauded the "solid production values" and "crisp direction," where "each moment is crafted and distinct as, layer upon chilly layer, an edifice of terror is painstakingly created."[105] Reviewers also described the special effects as "exceptionally effective,"[104] "jaw-dropping,"[113] and "rival[ing] anything you've seen on the big screen."[1]

However, many writers also panned It's long length and padding,[103][112][84][104][114] The Washington Times writer Rick Martin criticizing its lack of scary moments over a four-hour running time.[115] The Miami Herald critic Hal Boedeker wrote that It was padded with the leads dickering around with confronting It, as if it was "a monster movie without the heroes confronting "the thing;"" and "trite" and "tasteless" dialogue, such as slurs targeted toward the black Mike and the Jewish Stan.[114] Virginia Mann of The Record attributed the long length to the story's repetitive structure, where there are multiple scenes involving one Loser encountering the same villain: "After a while, even the scary stuff starts to seem silly."[116] Some reviewers also criticized its out-of-nowhere undeveloped subplots and unexplained concepts,[113][117][104][83] such as the lack of explanation for why only the Loser Clubs and none of the other adults see It's incarnations.[117][104] Martin noted one plot error in particular: "[Bill] still feels responsible for his kid brother's being snatched by Ronald McDeath, and though he wasn't there at the time manages a detailed flashback of his brother's last moments."[115] Some reviewers felt the miniseries failed to capture King's horror style,[83] one of them included Dusty Saunders; he wrote that its terror wasn't "unrelenting" enough, as some of "the scenes and the special effects come across as routine, familiar work from predictable monster movies." He also was an outlier in dismissing the character of Pennywise, writing that he "comes across as a berserk, somewhat laughable circus character."[118]
Part one
It's child cast, which included Jonathan Brandis (left), Seth Green (middle), and Emily Perkins (right), garnered praise from reviewers.

The most praise came towards the series' first part, a common highlight being the performances of the child actors[119][85][120][104][115] and its development of the Losers.[110][81][87][121] Jonathan Storm described Crane as "awkward but adorable" and Perkins as having "a subtlety to the role that belies her years; her sidelong stare can be full of fear one second, contempt the next."[121]

The part had the most "impact" of the miniseries because it focused on children, a very "vulnerable" demographic of people, analyzed The San Diego Union writer Robert P. Laurence.[111] Ed Bark of The Dallas Morning News wrote that, "We yearn to recapture what they had, and we also wince at the indignities they endured as members of their self-proclaimed "Losers' Club.'"[120] Tim Funk of The Charlotte Observer explained, "Watching them, we can't help but recall our own childhood hurts and fears. But we're also reminded what a soothing salve friendship was."[85]

Keller wrote the Losers' bonding "never lurch into the sentimental, but are deeply, powerfully moving all the same," also finding the back-and-forth flashback technique to be the miniseries' "most effective" aspect.[105] However, Bodeker was less favorable towards the story's presentation of juvenile endangerment, made only more "distasteful" by its "hack filmmaking."[114] Mink also called the introduction to the adult losers in the first part "ridiculously trite"[107] and Bodeker a "monotonous" setup.[114]
Part two

The second part garnered more criticism, a recurring con being the adult actors.[120][119][87] Laurence opined the adult actors were "more willing to accept the story on its own terms," thus making the second half less interesting.[111] Storm explained that the adult characters' "foolish" and "spoiled" behavior made their problems look more "trivial" than their younger counterparts, and called their activities less "interesting" as well: "The adults just sit around and eat Chinese food or whine through strange attempts at romance."[121]

Mal Vincent felt the adult characters unintentionally looked like "psychopaths" seeing It's mind images, but also liked the performers of the grown-ups more than most other critics: "they do manage, just as importantly, to suggest camaraderie and friendship which, considering they are mostly stars of competing TV series, is an achievement in itself."[19] He also called the premise of adults keeping to a vow they held for thirty years to kill a monster "silly."[121] Chapman called Christopher's performance of Eddie "embarrassing,"[87] while Tucker panned Thomas' performance for being more like his character for The Waltons than a horror novelist.[83] Funk opined the miniseries' final half to be somewhat inferior for being "a bit silly at key points,"[85] and Tucker disfavored the second part's predictable plot.[83]

The ending of the miniseries garnered the most disappointment with critics, even those most favorable toward the miniseries.[107][113][85][1][103][80][105] Bark dismissed it as a "hokey, feel-good" resolution,[120] Keller called it "trite,"[105] and Chapman described it as a "cop-out" as it ruined the "epic mind game" notion of It being in the characters' heads.[87] It's spider form was particularly derided,[1][111][109][119] called by Chapman a "cheap Alien imitation,"[87] described by Mann "as if it crawled out of a low-budget Japanese monster movie,"[116] and by the Richmond Times-Dispatch "more laughable than frightening."[122]
Accolades

It was ranked the tenth best television miniseries/film in 1990 by the Orange County Register;[123] and USA Today honored Pennywise the best television clown of 1990, alongside Homey the Clown from In Living Color.[124] Bellis won an award for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a mini-series or a Special for his score for It,[125] the first time a composer won the award for a horror production.[70] David Blangsted and Robert F. Shugrue were nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Editing for a Single-Camera Miniseries or Special, losing to the Hallmark film Sarah, Plain and Tall (1991).[125] Blangsted and Shugrue did, however, win an Eddie Award for Best Edited Television Work on a Miniseries.[126] Crane was nominated for a Youth in Film award for "Best Young Actor Starring in a TV Movie, Pilot, or Special," but lost to Stephen Dorff in Always Remember I Love You.[127] It was nominated for a People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Mini-Series,[128] being defeated by The Civil War (1990).[129]
Later years
Home media

It was released on VHS and LaserDisc in 1991.[130] Warner Home Video released the VHS version in the United Kingdom on August 22, 1991; Samhain, Britain's longest running horror magazine, promoted it with a five-copy giveaway for readers who sent in when the original novel was published.[131] In January 1992, a high-quality, digital-stereo LaserDisc version of It was released in Japan.[73] On February 10, 1993, Warner Home Video released two VHS versions of It: a standard-play-speed set consisting of two tapes, as 193 minutes was too much time for a standard play tape to hold; and a one-tape, lower-quality, extended play-speed version.[132] Houston Chronicle writer Bruce Westbrook considered this a questionable business decision for Warner: The versions were being sold at a high rental price ($79.99); and many retailers were un-equipped to display "cumbersome two-tape" products or worried about customers not wanting to rent a long two-tape set for just one night.[132] The VHS and LaserDisc releases feature It as originally aired. In 1998, It was re-released on VHS on a single cassette tape and was altered, removing the end credits from part 1 and the opening credits of part 2. These edits carried over to all future releases of the miniseries.
Retrospective opinion and legacy

    While the climax may be somewhat unavoidably unsatisfying, it is nostalgically remembered for its strengths, including its unforgettably gruesome Pennywise portrayal, its memorably shocking moments of on-screen visceral horror [...] and its thoroughly convincing portrayal of camaraderie from both generations of the Losers Club.
    — SciFiNow, 2015[133]

    Stephen King's It is considered by most fans to be the most terrifying made-for-television horror film of all time.
    — HorrorHound, 2009[134]

    More time and more money would've helped in the visual effects department, but I think we did okay with what we had, and what we had, above all else, was a brilliant cast and brilliant material. Stephen King and I corresponded after the fact, and he felt as I did about the show's strengths and weaknesses, but overall was very complimentary.
    — Wallace, 2015[57]

As of September 2020, on Rotten Tomatoes, the miniseries holds an approval rating of 68% based on 25 reviews, with a weighted average rating of 6/10. The site's consensus reads, "Though hampered by an uneven second half, It supplies a wealth of funhouse thrills and an idelible turn from Tim Curry as Pennywise."[135] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 79 out of 100 based on reviews from nine critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". It topped The New York Observer's 2014 list of the best Stephen King miniseries; the source explained that while it was "two hours too long," it was still the scariest King miniseries of all time.[136] Complex called it the scariest horror film of 1990, noting its "manipulative" horror as well the relationships of the Losers: "The camaraderie and shared history of It's protagonists stir feelings of warm nostalgia in viewers—which makes it all the more horrifying every time Pennywhistle pops up."

Many retrospective pieces have spotlighted Curry's version of Pennywise,[138][139][140][9][50] being called by several publications and scholars as one of the most terrifying clown characters in film and television.[141][142][143] In fact, it is "widely considered the archetype of the [evil clown] genre," wrote Jessica Glenza.[141] As The Atlantic summarized the terror of the performance and character, "He speaks in a kind of singsongy, guttural growl, his teeth are sharp fangs, and the contrast between his comical yellow dungarees and his penchant for ripping off children's limbs is fairly stark."[144] Rolling Stone writer Sean T. Collins described it as "the stuff sleepless nights are made of. He gloats, he giggles, he taunts, he devours the scenery like the monster himself devours middle-schoolers – and he generally sears his way right into the brain of the viewer."[139]

Collins and James Smythe of The Guardian claimed the miniseries to have a cult status,[139][140] Smythe using Curry's portrayal as the main reason: "To this day, it's Pennywise that people turn to if you ask them to picture a scary clown. Far more people than ever read the book have seen pictures of Curry's Pennywise, or have watched clips, or remember their siblings forcing them to watch it with them."[140] Curry's portrayal of the character turned him into a horror icon.[134][145][146] As Bloody Disgusting explained, "His mixture of pleasant charm with gleeful terror has cemented the character in our minds, filling our slumbers with nightmares."[145] In 2015, the source ranked his version of the clown the best Stephen King villain.[147] Perkins recalled being at Hal-Con "and a lot of people wanted to talk about It with me, especially women who really loved Beverly and wanted to be her because they felt like an outcast, and saw her as a character with a lot of strength."[7]

However, the other parts of the miniseries have faced more divided opinions. Smythe, while finding the miniseries enjoyable overall, also found the writing to be "clunky" and the other performances to be "soapy."[140] Sandra Harris of Moviepilot noted the miniseries' "gorgeous scenery" and "nice interweaving of flashbacks with the regular scenes,"[148] while Ian Jane of DVD Talk and John Campopiano of Bloody Disgusting praised the combination of childhood nostalgia with horror elements.[138][149] Dan Stephens from the UK website Top 10 Films praised the first part of the miniseries for its story, character development, and suspense. However, he found the second part disappointing, disliking the lack of "friendship and togetherness" of the main characters that was present during the first part as well as the clichéd ending.[150] The Mary Sue critic Kate Gardner appreciated It for its camp value, but was disappointed with how the miniseries rejected the "character study" aspects of the novel to fit the three-hour running time. Rozsa was also one of the few reviewers to dislike the child performers, describing their line delivery as "unconvincing."[89]

Jonathan Barkin, in a 2016 review, wrote that the first part, while the best of the miniseries, suffered from "awkward attempts to tie everything together," where what is only shown is "the smallest of snippets and there aren't really any solid connecting lines." He also panned the second part for padding it with uninteresting presentations of the adult Losers. His overall criticisms includes its flashback structure and cheap television look, especially when it came to the spider and the "lazy" choice of close-up shots for Pennywise's scary faces.[86]

There have been several internet memes using gifs of the scene where Pennywise meets Georgie.[92]

While King has admitted to enjoying the miniseries, calling it a "really ambitious adaptation of a really long book;"[7] Wallace, who only read the novel years after finishing It, stated in 2003 that he found the miniseries to be inferior to its source material.[13] In 2015, however, he stated that he "was, and am, very, very proud of It."[57]

It's commercial success began a wave of miniseries adaptations of Stephen King works, such as The Tommyknockers (1993), another miniseries where Cohen wrote the script; Rose Red (2002), and 11.22.63 (2016).[7] It also was a heavy part of ABC's later decisions of allowing King to write screenplays of miniseries versions of his works, such as The Stand (1994)[151] and The Shining (1997).[152]
In other media

In 2013, Pennywise made an appearance in an advertisement for organic food company Herbaria that was produced by Andreas Roth with Jung von Matt/Neckar and Tempomedia.[153]

The two-part late 2010s film version of It (Chapter One and Chapter Two) feature references to the miniseries. A doll replica of Curry's Pennywise is seen in Chapter One in the scene where Richie encounters a room of clown dolls in the house on Neibolt Street;[154] the doll was also included in the film's trailer.[155] Chapter Two not only features a cameo from Crane, but also Pennywise (portrayed by Bill Skarsgård) reiterating the miniseries line "Kiss me, fat boy" and the designs of the clownhouse's clown bags having the same pattern as the attire of Curry's Pennywise.[154] Skarsgård stated in an interview about the miniseries, "I watched the whole thing, and...it's cute. It's very dated, you know?"[156] The 2017 film's Henry Bowers actor Nicholas Hamilton and editor Jason Ballantine admitted to using the miniseries as reference when working on the 2017 version.[157][158]
Documentary and short film

In May 2017, an Indiegogo campaign was created for Pennywise: The Story of IT, an independent documentary film about the production and lasting impact of the It miniseries.[159][160] The project met its crowdfunding goal in June 2017, with production beginning the following month.[161][162] The film, directed by Chris Griffiths and produced by John Campopiano and Gary Smart, will feature interviews with members of the miniseries' cast and crew, including Tim Curry, Tommy Lee Wallace, Bart Mixon, Seth Green, Richard Thomas, and Emily Perkins.[163][164] From October 27 to October 28, 2018, at the Scotiabank Convention Centre's 2018 Frightmare in the Falls event, Campopiano held an exhibit of the props, costumes, memorabilia, and behind-the-scenes of It to promote the documentary.[165] On February 22, 2019, an extended trailer for the film was uploaded to YouTube.[163] The documentary had its world premiere at the Sitges Film Festival on October 15, 2021, and premiered in select theaters on July 8 and digital formats on July 26, 2022.[166][167][168] It was first released on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK on October 24, 2022, and then released worldwide on November 22, 2022.[169][170] The documentary was met with mixed reviews with That's Pop Culture rating it three out of five stars, saying, "A solid documentary that doesn’t quite have the IT factor".[171] Robert Martin for Starburst remarked that, "there’s nothing exciting or unusual about the telling of the story - it’s a very standard documentary indeed. It’s the subject matter only which keeps the interest and that’ in itself is fascinating." giving it 4 out of 5.[172] The Reviews Hub website added, "Without much drama to keep it running, and a bloated running time of over two hours, Pennywise: The Story of It dilutes any interesting nuggets in a sea of trite interviews.".[173]

In August 2018, it was announced that Pennywise: The Story of IT co-producer Campopiano was producing a short alternate history sequel film to the miniseries titled Georgie.[174][175] The short, directed by Ryan Grulich, features Tony Dakota reprising his role as Georgie Denbrough from the It miniseries, and centers on the idea of how the narrative could have continued had Georgie not been killed by Pennywise.[176] The short also features Ben Heller, who portrayed young Stanley Uris in the miniseries.[176] On August 27, 2018, a teaser trailer for Georgie was uploaded to YouTube.[177] The short premiered at the Boston Underground Film Festival on March 22, 2019, and made its debut online on June 10, 2019, on the Fangoria Facebook page....Adaptations

In 1998, a 52-episode Indian television adaptation of the miniseries, Woh, was broadcast.[194]

In September 2004, The WB announced a two-hour telefilm remake of the It miniseries written by Peter Filardi and produced by Mark Wolper, both of whom had previously worked on the 2004 version of Salem's Lot.[195] On June 7, 2006, the plan for the project changed into a four-hour miniseries remake of the 1990 adaptation that would air on The Sci-Fi Channel.[196] There were no further announcements." (wikipedia.)

"Psychological horror is a subgenre of horror and psychological fiction with a particular focus on mental, emotional, and psychological states to frighten, disturb, or unsettle its audience. The subgenre frequently overlaps with the related subgenre of psychological thriller, and often uses mystery elements and characters with unstable, unreliable, or disturbed psychological states to enhance the suspense, horror, drama, tension, and paranoia of the setting and plot and to provide an overall creepy, unpleasant, unsettling, or distressing atmosphere.
Characteristics

Psychological horror usually aims to create discomfort or dread by exposing common or universal psychological and emotional vulnerabilities/fears and revealing the darker parts of the human psyche that most people may repress or deny.[citation needed] This idea is referred to in analytical psychology as the archetypal shadow characteristics: suspicion, distrust, self-doubt, and paranoia of others, themselves, and the world.

The genre sometimes seeks to challenge or confuse the audience's grasp of the narrative or plot by focusing on characters who are themselves unsure of or doubting their own perceptions of reality or questioning their own sanity. Characters' perceptions of their surroundings or situations may indeed be distorted or subject to delusions, outside manipulation or gaslighting by other characters; emotional disturbances or trauma; and even hallucinations or mental disorders. In many cases, and in a similar way as the overlapping genre of psychological thriller, psychological horror may deploy an unreliable narrator or imply that aspects of the story are being perceived inaccurately by a protagonist, thus confusing or unsettling the audience and setting up an ominous or disturbing overarching tone. In other cases, the narrator or protagonist may be reliable or ostensibly mentally stable but is placed in a situation involving another character or characters who are psychologically, mentally, or emotionally disturbed. Thus, elements of psychological horror focus on mental conflicts. These become important as the characters face perverse situations, sometimes involving the supernatural, immorality, murder, and conspiracies. While other horror media emphasize fantastical situations such as attacks by monsters, psychological horror tends to keep the monsters hidden and to involve situations more grounded on artistic realism.

Plot twists are an often-used device. Characters commonly face internal battles with subconscious desires such as romantic lust and the desire for petty revenge. In contrast, splatter fiction and monster movies often focuses on a bizarre, alien evil to which the average viewer cannot easily relate. However, at times, the psychological horror and splatter subgenres overlap, such as in the French horror film High Tension.

Psychological fascination of psychological horror

Fascination with horror films lies in the unreasonable, irrational, and impossible. Jung and Nietzsche's theories exemplify humans need to escape the real world and live in a sublime space where anything is possible. Horror allows the watcher to escape mundane conventional life and express the inner workings of their irrational thoughts. H.P. Lovecraft's explanation for the fascination of horror stems more from the lack of understanding of a humans true place and our deep inner instinct we are out of touch with, and the basic insignificance of ones life and the universe at large. Horror forces us to remember. Psychological horror further forces the manifestation of each individuals own personal horror. Our unseen humanity and our most basic human impulses forces us to seek out stimuli to remind us of our true nature and potential.[2]

Modern research reveals the relationship between empathy and fear or the lack thereof with interest in horror. Research shows that the effects of psychological horror affects females more than males.[3]  A current hypothesis for this difference between the genders is that it relates to social expectations and the gender roles we are exposed to during childhood.[4] As a result of the lack of cross-cultural research on the psychological effects of horror, one hypothesis is that individual cultures develop their own unique sense of horror, based in their cultural experiences.

Tools of psychological horrorLighting and shadows

Hitchcock's Rear Window used light and deliberate shadows to incite suspense in the viewer. Suspense is a fundamental part of Hitchcockian horror. The use of shadows through light to cover up information results in a subtle escalation of suspense and horror of what can not be seen. Hitchcock's Rear Window places the main character as the primary information source for the viewer; their confusion is pervasive. The viewer lacks an omniscient understanding of events, resulting in an suspenseful and slow then explosive revelation. Shadows hide events or truths yet to be revealed, sometimes foreshadow events, and notify the viewer to hidden truths, resulting in suspense and the self reflection of known truths by the viewer. Light is used as a metaphor for what we know and can be seen, in the light, and what we do not know and are trying to figure out, what is in the shadows. Half illumination can be used to express a duality of emotions and uncertainty. The use of a burning cigarette or cigar, a tiny light in a sea of darkness is enough to inform the viewer that something or someone is there, but reveals nothing else, manipulating the viewers fears of what could be.[5]
Sound and music
Studies by Thayer and Ellison in the 1980 studied the effects of different types of music layered on top of stressful visual stimuli, they used dermal electromagnetic to capture information about physiological stimulation while watching and listening. They found that with stressful music and composition laid over top stressful images the psychological response was greater than when watching the same visual stimuli with non stressful sound.[6] Music with a positive tones results in viewers perceiving simultaneous visual stimuli as positive, and when negative tones are used viewers perceive visual stimuli as negative or more threatening. They made three hypotheses and were able to prove two with their research: 1. The use of equally stressful sounds and music over stressful imagery increased the psychological response in viewers in comparison to the same imagery without sound. 2. Where sound and music are placed in relation to a stressful visual stimuli effects the psychological response in viewers. This could not be totally proven, as when sound and music are incongruent with visual stimuli the electromagnetic response was heightened without alleviation in moments of non stress. 3. Sound and music placement can manipulate the viewer into believing a stressful moment is about to happen or has ended, when music is used in opposition to human expectation it can increase stress in the viewer when the expectation the music created doesn't happen visual.[6] When following a character in a movie or show, the music exemplifies the emotion of the character, the viewer feels what the character feels, creating a synergy between character and viewer.[7] The addition of music breaths more depth into emotional response that visual stimuli can not accomplish on its own. Music can subconsciously influence the viewer, further intertwining them emotionally with what they are watching forcing them to feel more deeply whatever emotion they are feeling from watching making it an important piece of psychological horror and its success in inciting emotions in the viewer. While the use of full orchestras is a common use in the entire horror genre, when music is not playing sounds from actions in film, as well as the lack of all sound and score are also used as tools to incite psychological horror and emphasize emotion....Films

Bill Gibron of PopMatters declared a mixed definition of the psychological horror film, ranging from definitions of anything that created a sense of disquiet or apprehension to a film where an audience's mind makes up what was not directly displayed visually. Gibron concluded it as a "clouded gray area between all out splatter and a trip through a cinematic dark ride."[9]

Academics and historians have stated different origin periods to the psychological horror film. Historian David J. Skal described The Black Cat (1934) as "being called the first psychological horror movie in America."[10] Academic Susan Hayward described them as a post-World War II phenomenon and giving examples of psychological horror films as Psycho (1960) and Peeping Tom (1960).[11] Hayward continued that the psychological horror films and slasher films are both interchangeable terms with "horror-thrillers".[12]

Hayward said the genre resembled the slasher film with both being "vicious normalizing of misogyny".[11] She wrote that in both film genres, the male had a dependence on the female for a sense of identity derived from his difference from her, and often killed them with items like knives or chainsaws." (wikipedia.)

"The distinction between terror and horror is a standard literary and psychological concept applied especially to Gothic and horror fiction.[1] Terror is usually described as the feeling of dread and anticipation that precedes the horrifying experience. By contrast, horror is the feeling of revulsion that usually follows a frightening sight, sound, or otherwise experience.

Terror has also been defined by Noël Carroll as a combination of horror and revulsion.[2]
Literary Gothic
The distinction between terror and horror was first characterized by the Gothic writer Ann Radcliffe (1764–1823), horror being more related to being shocked or scared (being horrified) at an awful realization or a deeply unpleasant occurrence, while terror is more related to being anxious or fearful.[3] Radcliffe considered that terror is characterized by "obscurity" or indeterminacy in its treatment of potentially horrible events, something which leads to the sublime. She says in an essay published posthumously in 1826, 'On the Supernatural in Poetry', that terror "expands the soul and awakens the faculties to a high degree of life". Horror, in contrast, "freezes and nearly annihilates them" with its unambiguous displays of atrocity. She goes on: "I apprehend that neither Shakespeare nor Milton by their fictions, nor Mr Burke by his reasoning, anywhere looked to positive horror as a source of the sublime, though they all agree that terror is a very high one; and where lies the great difference between horror and terror, but in uncertainty and obscurity, that accompany the first, respecting the dreader evil."...Horror fiction

Horror is also a genre of film and fiction that relies on horrifying images or situations to tell stories and prompt reactions or jump scares to put their audiences on edge. In these films the moment of horrifying revelation is usually preceded by a terrifying build up, often using the medium of scary music.[5]

In his non-fiction book Danse Macabre, Stephen King stressed how horror tales normally chart the outbreak of madness/the terrible within an everyday setting.[6] He also elaborated on the twin themes of terror and horror, adding a third element which he referred to as "revulsion". He describes terror as "the finest element" of the three, and the one he strives hardest to maintain in his own writing. Citing many examples, he defines "terror" as the suspenseful moment in horror before the actual monster is revealed. "Horror," King writes, is that moment at which one sees the creature/aberration that causes the terror or suspense, a "shock value". King finally compares "revulsion" with the gag-reflex, a bottom-level, cheap gimmick which he admits he often resorts to in his own fiction if necessary, confessing:

    I recognize terror as the finest emotion and so I will try to terrorize the reader. But if I find that I cannot terrify, I will try to horrify, and if I find that I cannot horrify, I'll go for the gross-out. I'm not proud.

According to Devendra Varma in The Gothic Flame (1966):

    The difference between Terror and Horror is the difference between awful apprehension and sickening realization: between the smell of death and stumbling against a corpse.

Horror fiction

Horror is also a genre of film and fiction that relies on horrifying images or situations to tell stories and prompt reactions or jump scares to put their audiences on edge. In these films the moment of horrifying revelation is usually preceded by a terrifying build up, often using the medium of scary music.[5]

In his non-fiction book Danse Macabre, Stephen King stressed how horror tales normally chart the outbreak of madness/the terrible within an everyday setting.[6] He also elaborated on the twin themes of terror and horror, adding a third element which he referred to as "revulsion". He describes terror as "the finest element" of the three, and the one he strives hardest to maintain in his own writing. Citing many examples, he defines "terror" as the suspenseful moment in horror before the actual monster is revealed. "Horror," King writes, is that moment at which one sees the creature/aberration that causes the terror or suspense, a "shock value". King finally compares "revulsion" with the gag-reflex, a bottom-level, cheap gimmick which he admits he often resorts to in his own fiction if necessary, confessing:

    I recognize terror as the finest emotion and so I will try to terrorize the reader. But if I find that I cannot terrify, I will try to horrify, and if I find that I cannot horrify, I'll go for the gross-out. I'm not proud....Horror, helplessness and trauma

The paradox of pleasure experienced through horror films/books can be explained partly as stemming from relief from real-life horror in the experience of horror in play, partly as a safe way to return in adult life to the paralysing feelings of infantile helplessness.[12]

Helplessness is also a factor in the overwhelming experience of real horror in psychological trauma.[13] Playing at re-experiencing the trauma may be a helpful way of overcoming it." (wikipedia.)

"Woh (transl. It) is a 52-episode Indian horror thriller television series which aired on Zee TV in 1998. The series starred Indian film director Ashutosh Gowarikar, and dwarf actor Lilliput in the title role. It is a Hindi-language TV show adaptation of Stephen King's epic horror novel It.[1][2]
Premise

Seven teenagers Ashutosh, Raja, Julie, Shiva, Ronnie, Sanjeev and Rahul battle an evil force that takes the form of a clown called Woh that kidnaps children, and free the town of Panchgani of his evil influence. They promise to return, if Woh ever returns. Fifteen years after they part ways, Ashutosh starts seeing balloons, at places where children are being kidnapped. He immediately recognises that Woh has returned and calls his friends to return.

All the friends return except Sanjeev who gets killed by Woh. The day they realise that the police take the friends into custody and they narrate how they battled Woh with the help of Samidha fifteen years ago. The police believe them and release them. They go and meet Samidha and she joins their group. They finish Woh with difficulty. The same day Ashutosh learns his wife is pregnant. Raja proposes to Samidha. All the friends return to their normal lives. Bad omens happen during the birth of Ashutosh's child Siddharth. His doctor and years later Ashutosh's wife's aunt are mysteriously killed. Ashutosh's friends arrive for Siddharth's seventh birthday, and realise Woh has returned as Siddharth. They go to the same caves and find out from the mother of Woh that he was her son who was bullied by society due to his dwarfism. He killed himself and became a vengeful ghost. The friends convince him to leave Siddharth's body and help him attain salvation. Siddharth is saved and the story ends on a happy note.
Cast

    Lilliput as Vikram / Woh
    Ashutosh Gowarikar as Ashutosh Dhar
        Shreyas Talpade as Young Ashutosh Dhar
    Mamik Singh as Rahul Sahni
    Nasirr Khan as Raja
        Ankur Javeri as Young Raja
    Anupam Bhattacharya as Sanjeev
        Parag Nair as Young Sanjeev
    Amit Mistry as Ronnie Batliwala
        Sumeet Goradia as Young Ronnie Batliwala
    Shonali Malhotra as Samidha Dikshit, Omkarnath's daughter
        Juhi Parmar as Young Samidha Dikshit, Omkarnath's daughter
    Seema Shetty as Julie
        Namrata Gaur as Young Julie
    Ankush Mohla as Shiva
        Adesh Rathi as Young Shiva
    Parzan Dastur as Siddharth Dhar, Ashutosh's son
    Sulabha Deshpande as the mother of Vikram / Woh
    Manoj Joshi as Amit Divecha
    Daya Shankar Pandey as Chandu
    Asif Basra as Omkarnath Dikshit, the history teacher
    Saurabh Dubey as Pinto, Julie's grandfather
    Mukesh Jadhav as Anand
    Iqbal Azad as Inspector Shinde
    Sukanya Kulkarni as Radhika Dhar, Ashutosh's wife
    Prashant Rane as Rohit Sahni, Rahul's brother
    Gyan Prakash as Shiva's father
    Shobha Pradhan as Ronnie's mother
    Dolly Dotiwalla as Mrs. Cooper, the librarian
    Vicky Ahuja as Ranjeet
        Yogesh Pagare as young Ranjeet
    Raul Dias as Chikki
    Shishir Rungta as Samir
    Dr.Vilas Ujawane as Samir's father (Shiva's uncle)
    Meena Naik as Samir's mother (Shiva's aunt)
    Nayan Bhatt as Nayan, the maid
    Kannu Gill as Durga Masi (Radhika's aunt)
    Pratibha Goregaonkar as Mrs. Bhinde, Hindi teacher
    Amarnath Mukherjee as Mr. Bhalla
    Ramesh Goyal as Salim Bhai

Later years
2022 TV series

In 2022, another Indian version of It was released. The series was known as Yeh, which has almost the same storyline as the series and was based on the 2017 film and its 2019 sequel.

The first season of the series started with Raja and Georgina (they were siblings) and they were trying to figure out who the ancient clown called Yeh is. They got the other members of the Loser Club.

The second season of the series started with Rahul giving Rohit a paper boat to play with. Rohit set the boat on the water and it sunk. Yah appeared and offered him the boat back and then, he killed him. Ever since then, Rahul has been having nightmares about it. He and his friends battled Yeh with the help of Raja.

15 years later, Yeh is back and possessing Raja. Rahul and his friends convince him to leave his body and ultimately reveal his original human form. He explains that a friend he once had turned on him. So, he became a clown and then, took his own life, causing him to become an evil ghost clown. However, they tell him to apologize, causing him to turn into a glowing leaf that ascends into the sky." (wikipedia.)

"It (titled on-screen as It Chapter One) 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.[4][5][6] Starring Jaeden Lieberher and Bill Skarsgård, the film was produced by New Line Cinema, KatzSmith Productions, Lin Pictures, and Vertigo Entertainment.[7][8] The film, set in Derry, Maine, tells the story of The Losers' Club (Lieberher, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Wyatt Oleff, Chosen Jacobs, and Jack Dylan Grazer), a group of seven outcast children who are terrorized by the eponymous being which emerges from the sewer (Skarsgård), only to face their own personal demons in the process.

Development of the theatrical film adaptation of It began in March 2009 when Warner Bros. started discussing that they would be bringing it to the big screen, with David Kajganich planned to direct, before being replaced by Fukunaga in June 2012. After Fukunaga dropped out as the director in May 2015, Muschietti was signed on to direct the film in June 2015. He talks of drawing inspiration from 1980s films such as The Howling (1981), The Thing (1982) The Goonies (1985), Stand by Me (1986) and Near Dark (1987) and cited the influence of Steven Spielberg. During the development, the film was moved to New Line Cinema division in May 2014. Principal photography began in Toronto on June 27, 2016, and ended on September 21, 2016. The locations for It were in the Greater Toronto Area, including Port Hope, Oshawa, and Riverdale. Benjamin Wallfisch was hired in March 2017 to composed the film's musical score.

It premiered in Los Angeles at the TCL Chinese Theatre on September 5, 2017, and was released in the United States on September 8, 2017, in 2D and IMAX formats. A critical and commercial success, the film set numerous box office records and grossed over $701 million worldwide, becoming the third-highest-grossing R-rated film at the time of its release.[9] Unadjusted for inflation, it became the highest-grossing horror film of all time. It received generally positive reviews, with critics praising the performances, direction, cinematography and musical score, and many calling it one of the best Stephen King adaptations.[10] It also received numerous awards and nominations, earning two Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association nominations, including Best Acting Ensemble. It was nominated for the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Sci-Fi/Horror Movie. The film won three Bogey Awards, for pulling in more than two million German admissions in 11 days.[11] In addition, the motion picture was named one of the best films of 2017 by various critics, appearing on several critics' end-of-year lists.[12] The second film, It Chapter Two, was released on September 6, 2019, covering the remaining story from the book.
Plot

In October 1988, twelve-year-old Bill Denbrough crafts a paper sailboat for Georgie, his six-year-old brother. Georgie sails the boat along the rainy streets of small town Derry, Maine, only to have it fall down a storm drain. As he attempts to retrieve it, Georgie sees a clown in the drain, who introduces himself as "Pennywise the Dancing Clown". Pennywise entices Georgie to come closer, then bites his arm off and drags him into the sewer.

The following summer in June 1989, Bill and his friends Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak, and Stan Uris run afoul of older bullies Henry Bowers, Belch Huggins, Patrick Hockstetter, and Victor Criss. Bill, still haunted by Georgie's disappearance, calculates that his brother's body may have washed up in a marshy wasteland called the Barrens. He recruits his friends to investigate, believing Georgie may still be alive. Ben Hanscom, one of Bill's new classmates, learns that unexplained tragedies and child disappearances have plagued the town for centuries. Targeted by Bowers' gang, Ben flees into the Barrens and meets Bill's group. They find the sneaker of a missing girl named Betty Ripsom, while Patrick is killed by Pennywise while searching the sewers for Ben.

Beverly Marsh, a girl bullied over her rumored promiscuity, also joins the group; both Bill and Ben develop feelings for her. Later, the group befriends orphan Mike Hanlon after rescuing him from Bowers. Each member of the group has encountered terrifying manifestations of Pennywise: a headless undead boy (Ben), a sink that spews blood only children can see (Beverly), a diseased and rotting leper (Eddie), a disturbing painting coming alive (Stan), Mike's parents burning alive (Mike), and a frightening phantom of Georgie (Bill). Now calling themselves "The Losers Club", they realize they are all being stalked by the same entity, which they refer to as "It". They determine that It appears as their individual worst fears, awakening every 27 years to feed on the children of Derry before resuming hibernation, and moves about by using the sewer lines, which all lead to an old stone well hidden under an abandoned house on Neibolt Street. After Pennywise attacks them, the group ventures to the house to confront It, only to be separated and terrorized. As Pennywise gloats to Bill about Georgie, the Losers regroup and Beverly impales Pennywise through the head, forcing the clown to retreat. The group flees the house and begins to splinter, with only Bill and Beverly resolute in fighting It.

Weeks later, after Beverly confronts and incapacitates her sexually abusive father, Pennywise abducts her. The Losers Club reassembles and returns to the abandoned house to rescue her. Bowers, who has murdered his abusive father after being driven insane by It, attacks the group; Mike fights back and pushes Bowers down the well. The Losers descend into the sewers and find It's underground lair, which contains a mountain of decayed circus props and children's belongings, around which the bodies of It's child victims float in mid-air. Beverly, now catatonic after being exposed to bright lights inside It's gaping mouth, is restored to consciousness when Ben kisses her. Bill encounters Georgie, but recognizes that he is It in disguise. As Pennywise, It takes Bill hostage, offering to spare the others and go into hibernation if they let It feed on Bill. The Losers reject this, battling with It while overcoming their various fears. It is eventually defeated and retreats deeper into the sewers, with Bill declaring that It will starve during its hibernation. After finding the remnants of Georgie's raincoat, Bill finally comes to terms with his brother's death, with his friends comforting him.

As summer ends, Beverly informs the group of a vision she had while catatonic, where she saw them fighting It again as adults. The Losers swear a blood oath that they will return to Derry as adults if It returns. After the others make their goodbyes and disperse, Beverly and Bill discuss her leaving the next day to live with her aunt in Portland. Before she leaves, Bill reveals his feelings and they kiss.
Cast
Main cast

    Jaeden Lieberher as William "Bill" Denbrough

    The leader of the group of kids known as the Losers Club, who vows to get revenge on the monster with the help of his friends.[13][14][15] Denbrough losing his brother makes the battle against It a more personal crusade for him than any of the others. That and his stutter is what binds him to the group and transforms him into Big Bill, the leader.[16] On the character of Denbrough, Muschietti stated: "Bill is like a ghost in his own home: nobody sees him because his parents can't get over Georgie's death."[17] Ty Simpkins was considered for the role in Cary Fukunaga's production.[18][19] On the description of his character, Lieberher remarked of Bill that: "He's very strong and never backs down. He does what he thinks is right and would do anything for the people that he loves."[20] Lieberher spoke of influences such as YouTube and Colin Firth's performance in The King's Speech (2010) in assisting him to develop Bill's stutter,[21] while researching and getting used to stuttering on certain words, certain syllables, certain letters and sounds.[22]

    Bill Skarsgård as It / Pennywise The Dancing Clown / Robert "Bob" Gray[N 1]

    An ancient, trans-dimensional evil that awakens every twenty-seven years.[25][26][27][28] Will Poulter was previously cast in the role but was forced to drop out due to scheduling conflicts,[25] with Poulter stating, "I was [attached] when Mr. Fukunaga was directing, but the circumstances at New Line are such that a new director's attached now."[29] Poulter continued, "I think, with all due respect to him of course, I was selected by Cary and subscribed to Cary's vision for the movie, and so I haven't had a chance to connect with that [new] director."[30] Mark Rylance, Ben Mendelsohn, Kirk Acevedo, Hugo Weaving and Tilda Swinton were considered for the role,[31][32][33][34][35] with Mendelsohn passing on the project, as New Line wanted him to take a sizable pay cut.[36] On June 3, 2016, The Independent officially reported, after final negotiations took place, that Muschietti had chosen actor Bill Skarsgård to portray the character.[37] On portraying Pennywise, Skarsgård stated, "It's such an extreme character. Inhumane, It's beyond even a sociopath, because he's not even human. He's not even a clown. I'm playing just one of the beings It creates."[38] Skarsgård described the character further, saying, "It truly enjoys the shape of the clown Pennywise, and enjoys the game and the hunt." He also commented,[39] "What's funny to this evil entity might not be funny to everyone else. But he thinks it's funny."[40] On Pennywise's design, Skarsgård stated, "It's important that we do something fresh and original for this one. It's purposely not going toward that weird, greasy look."[41] He also commented on being compared to Tim Curry, stating that, "Curry's performance was truly great, but it's important for me to do something different because of that. I'll never be able to make a Tim Curry performance as good as Tim Curry."[42][43] Skarsgård also elaborated on his age, stating, "There's a childishness to the character, because he's so closely linked to the kids. The clown is the manifestation of children's imaginations, so there's something child-like about that."[44] Producer Dan Lin spoke of Skarsgård's physical attributes: "His build is really interesting. He's really tall and lanky, and feels a little clown like in his movement. When he came in — we had a lot of different actors read, and when he came in he had a different spin on the character that got us really excited."[45] Lin concluded by comparing the character with that of Heath Ledger's Joker, "You've had [Ledger] doing almost a clown joker, you've seen obviously Tim Curry as a clown. We wanted someone who created a Pennywise character that would stand on its own and Bill came in and created this character that frankly freaked us out."[45] Muschietti spoke of Skarsgård's Pennywise as one not to lurk in the shadows, to which he remarked, "Pennywise shows up, he's front and center, and he does his show. He has an act. So it's weird all the time, and every little thing implies a further threat."[46][47][48][49][50] Muschietti also spoke of wanting to make the sense of dread that grows in Derry part of the dread of Pennywise, to which he stated, "He's not just a character that can shape-shift, his influence is all around. The anticipation of him is almost scarier than the actual Pennywise scares."[51] On selecting Skarsgård to portray Pennywise, Muschietti wanted to stay true to the essence of the character, and Skarsgård caught his attention,[52] "The character has a childish and sweet demeanor, but there's something very off about him. Skarsgård has that balance in him. He can be sweet and cute, but he can be pretty disturbing."[53] Producer Barbara Muschietti referred to Skarsgård's Pennywise as "the ancestral clown", shunning 21st century modern clown characteristics and instead hearkening back to 18th century aesthetics with 'upgrades'."[54]

    Jeremy Ray Taylor as Benjamin "Ben" Hanscom

    A shy, overweight boy with a crush on Beverly, who relays the incidents of Derry's past to his friends.[16][55][56] On the character of Hanscom, Muschietti spoke of him knowing a situation of despair, on top of the terror of It and the fear of heights, and added, "Ben is bullied at school."[57]

    Sophia Lillis as Beverly "Bev" Marsh

    A flame-haired tomboy who fends off an abusive father at home, while forming a strong bond with Ben.[58][59] Beverly's Losership wasn't defined by the fact she was abused but by her poverty.[16][55] On the character of Marsh, Muschietti stated, "Beverly's case is of course the worst, because it's about sexual abuse on a minor."[60] In an interview with Rolling Stone, Lillis spoke of Muschietti not wanting herself and her co-stars to spend too much time with Skarsgård: "We actually weren't allowed to see him until our scenes, because we wanted the horror to be real."[61] On the character of Marsh, Lillis described her as: "Kind of a tough person. She hides herself. She tries to hide her emotions and hide her feelings. She distances herself from everyone but once she has this friend group she doesn't want to let it go because this is the only friend group that she has and so she's a very strong character."[citation needed] Working with Muschietti, Lillis and he developed Marsh as rebelling against her father, with Lillis having independence with the character, while also stating, "We definitely talked about her mother, who was never there — she wasn't even in the movie, but we talked about background for the character."[62] Lillis spoke of how Beverly is someone she aspires to be, relating to her strength, her way of facing her fears: "When I read about her, I kind of got the sense that she was someone I could definitely look up to. I would be happy if I had any similarity to her."[63][64] On her connection with her fellow co-stars she noted that the closeness of the friendships formed allowed Lillis connect with her own character: "I relate to Beverly – the way she deals with her emotions, and the way she was around the Losers. I felt that way around the actual actors."[61]

    Finn Wolfhard as Richard "Richie" Tozier

    The bespectacled best friend of Bill, whose loud mouth and foul language often get him into trouble.[16][55] Wolfhard shared the first image of the Losers Club on his Instagram account, with the photo captioned as "The Losers Club take Toronto", showing the cast of actors who will be playing the protagonists of the piece.[65][66] He auditioned for the part of Tozier for Fukunaga's It in 2015, before Fukunaga left,[67] with Wolfhard being the only actor cast in both Muschietti and Fukanaga's version.[68] On the character of Tozier, Muschietti stated, "We don't know much about Richie's personality, because he's the big mouth of the group. But we suppose he's also neglected at home, and he's the clown of the band because he needs attention."[69] Of his character's changes from the novel to the film, Wolfhard stated, "Richie's always been the same. There's some similarities to the book and there's other stuff they added because some of the stuff that we said in this movie you can't say in the '50s."[70] Wolfhard felt that there wasn't much research required in approaching Richie: " You just have to read the character breakdown and it helps a lot to see the difference between the characters in the book, and the miniseries, as well to get a raw take on it."[71] In an interview with GQ, Wolfhard spoke of how all of The Losers bonded on set, and that the friendship has carried over: "That friendship is for real, for sure. Every time I'm in L.A., I stay with Wyatt, who plays Stanley. We hang out all the time in L.A. and wherever they are."[72]

    Wyatt Oleff as Stanley "Stan" Uris

    The pragmatic son of a rabbi, whose bar mitzvah studies are haunted by a ghoulish woman from a painting.[16][73][74] On the character of Uris, Muschietti stated, "Long story short, there's all sorts of difficult situations, and we had the chance to tell them in a movie that faces directly those conflicts the families of the young actors were very open-minded, so we could tell the about subjects that are normally very touchy."[75] Muschietti made Stanley the son of a rabbi, which is a change from the novel, to add a bit of that sense of responsibility, while to show oppression from his father, with the theme of oppression being a recurring force in the story of the adults of Derry.[76] Oleff recalled his first scene shot being a speech at his bar mitzvah: "I had a ton of lines to memorize and they even added a whole new paragraph while we were filming. I was like, Oh boy. After a while it got a lot easier to say over and over gain [sic] it was, like, 10 hours filming that scene."[77] On the character of Uris, Oleff spoke by stating: "Stanley, in the group is the last one to believe that It is actually real because he just doesn't want to. It doesn't fit within his reality until something happens. He relates to everyone, but he's the one who tries to organize everything, but he can't. It's falling apart for him and his friends come to support him."[78] While Oleff stated Stanley as having OCD remarked:[79] "He tries to lay everything out in his own mind pattern kinda thing. And Pennywise comes along and just shatters everything. He's definitely the most scared."[79] Uris suffers from an injury sustained at the end of Muschietti's It, to which Oleff remarks "He's been scarred, I guess you can say but Stanley is scarred mentally and physically by these marks. They're permanent, so every time he would look in the mirror he'd see it and be reminded about what happened."[78] Oleff spoke of his research into the 1980s in which his parents helped him as "They told me a lot about the '80s and what music. I've been listening to a lot of '80s music recently. That's helped me get into character. I made a playlist of what I think Stanley would listen to in the '80s."[80] Oleff also spoke of the fellowship between his co-stars and himself, where he states "I think that translates on screen. You could see the friendship we have on and off-screen. We've been together for so long that you can see our connection, in our characters, but also it's us connecting as humans and friends."[81] Relating to sensitivity in emotions, Oleff compared himself to Uris when stating: "Stanley tries to hide his emotions and sometimes I accidentally do that as well. So I can definitely relate to him in that way. One way to describe Stanley is like the voice of reason that no one listens to and that's also me in real life."[citation needed]

    Chosen Jacobs as Michael "Mike" Hanlon

    A sweet, softly-spoken black boy living on the outskirts of Derry on his Grandfather's farm.[82] On the character of Hanlon, Muschietti stated, "Long story short, there's all sorts of difficult situations, and we had the chance to tell them in a movie that faces directly those conflicts the families of the young actors were very open-minded, so we could tell the about subjects that are normally very touchy."[75] When describing Hanlon, Jacobs stated that although Mike's more independent in characterization, he's still an eighties character, while elaborating by stating: "I mean he doesn't have any friends growing up, isolated, black, in the eighties, in a primarily Caucasian environment, so I think he's just got a sweetness about him."[83] On the characterization of Hanlon, Jacobs said: "Finding friends that accept him for who he is means a lot to him. So he would never betray that friendship, and I feel like I'm kind of that way or at least I try to be."[citation needed] Jacobs also mentioned: "I always say this because it's so true, Mike is the best friend anyone could ask for, just because he's been so isolated and he really appreciates friendships."[84] while stating that he was excited to portray Hanlon as: "I loved the depth of Mike, because he's just kind of a sweet, backbone type of guy. He's the guy you bring back to moms. I appreciated being able to play that character."[85] Jacobs felt that portraying Hanlon wasn't difficult as he just had to channel the best aspects of himself, while suggesting they have many similarities and some differences.[84] He brought up the element of Hanlon being one of the only African-Americans in Derry, while stating that he and the other Losers all have similar isolationism:[86] "He grew up the outsider because of racial tension, which separated him that makes him really appreciate when someone says, 'Hey, I like you for who you are.'"[86] Jacobs highlighted the bond Mike shares with his Losers' Club friends while also stating:[81] "Pennywise is just a symbol for all the hard things that happen in life that bring people together. Of course we changed. We became more mature. Some people break out of their shells, some people retract into themselves because it's scary. This horror film is more than just horror. It's a coming-of-age movie.[81] On the experience of shooting Muschietti's film, Jacobs spoke of it as "my favorite summer of my 16 long years on earth"[87]

    Jack Dylan Grazer as Edward "Eddie" Kaspbrak

    A sickly boy who only feels truly well when he is with his friends.[16][88] On the character of Kaspbrak, Muschietti stated, "Long story short, there's all sorts of difficult situations, and we had the chance to tell them in a movie that faces directly those conflicts the families of the young actors were very open-minded, so we could tell the about subjects that are normally very touchy."[75] The off-screen friendships began to influence the onscreen friendships, with Grazer recalling a scene where they were able to draw on their genuine feelings for one another for a particularly emotional scene:[89] We're lifelong friends now in reality and in the movie. We're shooting a scene now where Stanley or Wyatt is breaking down and we're all huddling around him crying and it's an amazing powerful scene. Because of the friendships, it's real."[89] He highlighted his enjoyment of the intense scenes he had with Skarsgård, stating: "I remember one scene after he was done choking me and stuff, he goes, Jack, are you okay? And I was like, 'Yeah! That was so much fun! I love what you're doing with the character, like let's do that again."[90][91] On his experiences with Muschietti, Grazer mentioned his usage of storyboards for scenes while also stating But to break us into character – I actually felt like I was pretty close to Eddie – we'd stick to our guns about a lot of things, we really didn't back down on our opinions."[92] Grazer spoke of his appreciation of films such as Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) and Batman (1989) that gave him "insight on how he could improvise or reuse those things as references to the time period."[93]

    Nicholas Hamilton as Henry Bowers

    A young sociopath who leads the Bowers Gang, and terrorizes the Losers' Club.[94][95] On the character of Bowers, Hamilton stated: "You see a lot of characters in movies who are just bullies and just there to be the antagonist and mess with the main character. With Bowers, he has so many different layers to him, with his father being the way he is and him having to live up to that."[96] Hamilton prepared for the role by studying Jarred Blancard's portrayal of the character in It (1990), and in Hamilton's words: "watched all the bits of my original character" for research.[97] Blancard spoke to Hamilton, with Blancard giving him advice on how to handle some of the "psychopathic-ness" and general meanness of Bowers.[98] Hamilton added, through the character of Bowers, that "There's stuff that I have to do that is really creepy and the opportunity to help share my psychotic side has been really fun."[97] Additionally Hamilton spoke of a scene shared with Ray Taylor, wherein he had to "terrorize the hell out of him and get right in his face."[97] Hamilton highlighted the generic portrayal bullying and the bully in "in any movie", to which he stated: "Bowers and his gang are just so much different. There's a story, there's layers, he's vulnerable at times, he's not just the dick, so I really like that. There's definitely stuff to play around with."[citation needed]

    Jackson Robert Scott as Georgie Denbrough

    The innocent, energetic 7-year-old brother of Bill Denbrough, whose death at the hands of Pennywise results in the next summer's events.[99][100]

Additional cast

    Owen Teague as Patrick Hockstetter, a psychopath who keeps a refrigerator full of animals that he has killed;[101][102]
    Logan Thompson as Victor "Vic" Criss, the inseparable friend of Henry Bowers;[103][104][105]
    Jake Sim as Reginald "Belch" Huggins, the biggest, strongest and clumsiest member of the Bowers Gang;[100]
    Javier Botet as Hobo / The Leper, a rotting homeless man that encounters Eddie Kaspbrak under the porch of the house on 29 Neibolt Street;[106][107][108]
    Tatum Lee as Judith, one of It's horrifying creations;[109]
    Steven Williams as Leroy Hanlon, the grandfather of Mike Hanlon who runs a nearby abattoir;[100]
    Stephen Bogaert as Alvin Marsh, the abusive father of Beverly Marsh;[110]
    Geoffrey Pounsett as Zack Denbrough, the father of Bill and George Denbrough;[111]
    Pip Dwyer as Sharon Denbrough, the caring and loving mother of Bill and George Denbrough;[100]
    Ari Cohen as Rabbi Uris, Stanley Uris's father and mentor in the Jewish religion;[111][112]
    Stuart Hughes as Oscar "Butch" Bowers, a racist and abusive officer of the Derry Police Department who is the father of Henry Bowers. Butch has a strong dislike towards the Hanlon family, especially Leroy;[111]
    Megan Charpentier as Greta Bowie, a snobby and stuck-up student in Mrs. Douglas's class and a classmate of the Losers Club at Derry Middle School, who lives in the richer parts of Derry.[111][113]

Production

The project was in ongoing development since 2009.[114][115][116] The proposed film adaptation has gone through two major phases of planning: initially with Cary Fukunaga from 2009 to 2015, with the early contributions of screenwriter David Kajganich, and with Andy Muschietti, with Fukunaga remaining in some capacity due to prior screenplay contributions.[108][117][118][119]
David Kajganich (2009–2010)

    "The thing about Stephen King's writing is that he draws his characters so well, it's hard not to imagine they're real people. So it honestly didn't occur to me to try to think of actors in those roles. Pennywise is a bit of a different story, though. His manner is so crucial to what's frightening about him, and it's too much fun to imagine all of the nuances different actors could give him. I think there are a hundred actors who could each pull off a fascinating, horrifying Pennywise, and I tried not to get too attached to any one actor in my head. I think the Pennywise in this adaptation is a less self-conscious of his own irony and surreality than was Tim Curry's Pennywise. I think it will be harder to laugh at his antics since, under the permissiveness of an R rating, I was able to give him back a lot of his more upsetting moments from the novel, ones that could never be aired on network television."

David Kajganich, on the construction of Pennywise.[120]

On March 12, 2009, Variety reported that Warner Bros. Pictures would be bringing Stephen King's novel to the big screen, with David Kajganich to adapt King's novel, while Dan Lin, Roy Lee and Doug Davison would be producing the piece.[121] When Kajganich learned of Warner Bros. plans to adapt King's novel, he went after the job.[120] Knowing that Warner Bros. was committed to adapting It as a single feature film, Kajganich began to attempt to try to find a structure that would accommodate such a large number of characters in two different time periods, around 120 pages, which was one of Warner Bros. stipulations.[122] Kajganich worked with Lin, Lee, and Davison on The Invasion (2007), and he knew they would champion good storytelling, and allow him the time to work out a solid first draft of the screenplay.[123] Kajganich spoke of the remake being set in the, "mid-1980s and in the present mirroring the twenty-odd-year gap King uses in the book and with a great deal of care and attention paid to the backstories of all the characters."[124]

Kajganich also mentioned that Warner Bros. wished for the adaptation to be rated R which he furthered by saying, "we can really honor the book and engage with the traumas that these characters endure.", while Kajganich spoke of Warner Bros. wanting the adaptation as a single film.[125] On June 29, 2010, the screenplay was being re-written by Kajganich.[126] He said that his dream choice for Pennywise would be Buster Keaton if he were still alive, and the Pennywise that Kajganich scripted was "less self-conscious of his own irony and surreality."[127]
Cary Fukunaga (2012–2015)

    "I am in the midst of rewriting the first script now. We're not working on the second part yet. The first script is just about the kids. It's more like The Goonies (1985) meets a horror film. We're definitely honoring the spirit of Stephen King, but the horror has to be modernized to make it relevant. That's my job, right now, on this pass. I'm working on making the horror more about suspense than visualization of any creatures. I just don't think that's scary. What could be there, and the sounds and how it interacts with things, is scarier than actual monsters."

– Cary Fukunaga, on the development of It.[128]

On June 7, 2012, The Hollywood Reporter had revealed that Cary Fukunaga was boarding the project as director and will co-write the script with Chase Palmer, while Roy Lee and Dan Lin are producing, as with Seth Grahame-Smith and David Katzenberg of KatzSmith Productions.[129] On May 21, 2014, Warner Bros. was announced to have moved the film to its New Line Cinema division, with overseer duties conducting by New Line's Walter Hamada and Dave Neustadter, along with Vice President of Production at Warner Bros., Niija Kuykendall.[7] On December 5, 2014, in an interview with Vulture, Dan Lin announced that the first film will be a coming-of-age story about the children tormented by It and the second will skip ahead in time as those same characters band together to continue the fight as adults.[130] Lin also stated that Fukunaga was only committed to directing the first film, though was currently closing a deal to co-write the second. Lin concluded by mentioning King, to which he remarked, "The most important thing is that [King] gave us his blessing. We didn't want to make this unless he felt it was the right way to go, and when we sent him the script, the response that Cary got back was, 'Go with God, please! This is the version the studio should make.' So that was really gratifying."[131] Lin confirmed that Fukunaga would begin principal photography in Summer 2016.[132]

On February 3, 2015, Fukunaga was interviewed by Slate wherein he spoke about It, while mentioning he has someone in mind for the role of Pennywise.[133] On March 3, 2015, Fukunaga spoke of the film, particularly noting his goal to find the "perfect guy to play Pennywise". Fukunaga also revealed that he, Kajganich and Palmer had changed the names and dates in the script, adding, the spirit is similar to what he'd like to see in cinemas."[134] On May 4, 2015, it was officially announced that Will Poulter had been cast to play Pennywise, after Fukunaga was "blown away" by his audition.[135][136] Ty Simpkins was considered to play one of The Losers' Club members.[18]

On May 25, 2015, it was reported that Fukunaga had dropped out as the director of It.[137] According to TheWrap, Fukunaga clashed with the studio and didn't want to compromise his artistic vision in the wake of budget cuts by New Line, which greenlit the first film at $30 million.[138] However, Fukunaga maintained that wasn't the case, with him stating he had bigger disagreements with New Line over the direction of the story: "I was trying to make an unconventional horror film. It didn't fit into the algorithm of what they knew they could spend and make money back on based on not offending their standard genre audience."[139] He made mention that the budget was perfectly fine, as well as his desire to make Pennywise more than just the clown.[139] Fukunaga concluded by stating, "We invested years and so much anecdotal storytelling in it. Chase and I both put our childhood in that story. So our biggest fear was they were going to take our script and bastardize it so I'm actually thankful that they are going to rewrite the script. I wouldn't want them to stealing our childhood memories and using that. I was honoring King's spirit of it, but I needed to update it. King saw an earlier draft and liked it."[139][140] On Fukunaga's departure, King wrote, "The remake of IT may be dead or undead but we'll always have Tim Curry. He's still floating down in the sewers of Derry."[141][142]
Andy Muschietti (2015–2017)

    "...the way Cary intended to execute the script is something that only he can talk about. I can say my version of It highly emphasizes Pennywise's most terrifying virtue, which is its ability to materialize into your worse fear; I want to take people in a journey into Pennywise's world through a disturbing, surrealistic and intoxicating experience that will leave nobody at ease."

– Andy Muschietti, on his version of It.[143]

On July 16, 2015, it was announced that Andy Muschietti was in negotiations to direct It, with New Line beginning a search for a new writer to tailor a script to Muschietti's vision,[144][145] with the announcement also confirming the possible participation of Muschietti's sister, Barbara Muschietti, as a producer, and Richard Brener joining Hamada, Neustadter and Kuykendall to oversee the project.[144] On April 22, 2016, it was indicated that Will Poulter, who was originally tapped to portray Pennywise in Fukunaga's version, had dropped out of the film due to a scheduling conflict and that executives were meeting with actors to portray the antagonist.[146] On April 22, 2016, New Line Cinema set the film for a release of September 8, 2017.[147][148]

On October 30, 2015, Muschietti was interviewed by Variety wherein he spoke about his vision of It, while mentioning Poulter was still in the mix for the role of Pennywise: "Poulter would be a great option. For me he is at the top of my list."[149] He confirmed that next summer is the time for them to start shooting. It was decided to shoot It during the summer months to give them the time to work with the children who have the main roles in the first part of the film.[citation needed] Muschietti went on to say that "King described 50s' terror iconography," adding that he feels there is a whole world now to "rediscover, to update." He said there won't be any mummies or werewolves and that the "terrors are going to be a lot more surprising."[150] On February 19, 2016, at the D.I.C.E. Summit 2016 producer Roy Lee confirmed that Fukunaga and Chase Palmer's original script had been rewritten, with Lee remarking, "It will hopefully be shooting later this year. We just got the California tax credit Dauberman wrote the most recent draft working with Muscetti, so it's being envisioned as two movies."[151]

On May 5, 2016, in an interview with Collider, David Kajganich expressed uncertainty as to whether drafts of his original screenplay would be used by Dauberman and Muschietti,[152] with the writer stating, "We know there's a new director, I don't know myself whether he's going back to any of the previous drafts or writing from scratch. I may not know until the film comes out. I don't know how it works! If you find out let me know."[152]

On June 2, 2016, Jaeden Lieberher was confirmed to be portraying lead protagonist, Bill Denbrough.[14] On June 2, 2016, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Bill Skarsgård was in final negotiations to star as Pennywise, whose cast will also include Finn Wolfhard, Jack Dylan Grazer, Wyatt Oleff, Chosen Jacobs and Jeremy Ray Taylor.[26] On June 2, 2016, there was a call for 100 background performers, with the background actor call going from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and by 4 p.m. more than 300 people had gone through; the casting call also asked for a marching band and period cars between 1970 and 1989.[153] On February 18, 2016, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Owen Teague was set to portray Patrick Hocksetter.[101] On June 21, 2016, it was officially announced that Nicholas Hamilton had been cast to play Henry Bowers.[154] On June 21, 2016, Bloody Disgusting reported that Javier Botet was added to the cast shortly before filming commenced.[155][156] On June 22, 2016, Deadline Hollywood reported that Muschietti had chosen actress Sophia Lillis to portray Beverly Marsh.[59] On June 24, 2016, Moviepilot reported that Stephen Bogaert was added to the cast shortly before filming commenced, with Bogaert portraying Al Marsh, the abusive father of Beverly Marsh.[110]

On July 22, 2016, Barbara Muschietti was interviewed by Northumberland News' Karen Longwell, wherein she spoke about the filming locations on It, while mentioning the beauty of Port Hope being one of the reasons as to why it was chosen, while Muschietti added, "We were looking for an idyllic town, one that would be a strong contrast to the story. Port Hope is the kind of place we all wish we had grown up in: long summers riding bicycles, walks by the lake, a lovely main street, charming homes with green lawns, warm people."[103] Muschietti also mentioned that 360 extras from the area, from adults to tiny kids, had been involved.[103]

On August 11, 2016, at The CW TCA presentation for the upcoming series Frequency, producer Dan Lin spoke of the piece's comparison to Netflix's Stranger Things, with Lee describing It being a "homage to 80s movies", while remarking: "I think a great analogy is actually Stranger Things, and we're seeing it on Netflix right now. It's very much an homage to '80s movies, whether it's classic Stephen King or even Spielberg. Think about Stand by Me (1986) as far as the bonding amongst the kids. But there is a really scary element in Pennywise."[45] Lin continued, speaking of how well the young cast has bonded in these first weeks of shooting. Lin stated, "We clearly had a great dynamic amongst the kids. Really great chemistry is always a challenging thing with a movie like It because you're casting kids who don't have a ton of experience, but it ended up being really natural. Each kid, like a The Goonies (1985) or Stand by Me (1986), has a very specific personality and they're forming the loser's club obviously We've spent a few months getting the kids to bond and now they're going to fight this evil, scary clown."[45]

On February 9, 2017, at the press day for The Lego Batman Movie (2017), Lin confirmed that It is going to be rated R by the MPAA, to which he stated to Collider.com's Steve Weintraub, "If you're going to make a "Rated-R movie", you have to fully embrace what it is, and you have to embrace the source material. It is a scary clown that's trying to kill kids. They do have a scary clown that's taken over the town of Derry, so it's going to be rated R."[157] On March 11, 2017, Muschietti, at the SXSW festival, spoke of an element of the pre-production phase in his attempt to keep Skarsgård separated from the film's child actors, wherein the actor wasn't introduced to the young cast until Pennywise's first encounter with the children:[158] "It was something that we agreed on, and that's how it happened. The day that he showed up on the stage, they fucking freaked out. Bill is like, seven-foot high, and I can't describe how scary he looks in person. He's a wiry man, crouching, making sounds, snotting, drooling, speaking in Swedish sometimes. Terrifying."[159] Muschietti stated that the story had been moved forward, with the scenes with the young Losers Club shifting from the 1950s to the 1980s, while also describing their plot as "getting much wider," with new material not in the novel or the 1990 miniseries.[160] However, Muschietti said he hoped it would still strike the same emotional resonance that the book did for him when he first read it: "It's all about trying to hit the core and the heart."[160]

On July 12, 2017, Muschietti, in an interview with French magazine Mad Movies, spoke of when developing the R rated film, in which allowed him to go into very adult themes, which was championed from the people at New Line Cinema.[161][162] He also stated that, "if you aimed for a PG-13 movie, you had nothing at the end. So we were very lucky that the producers didn't try to stop us. In fact it's more our own moral compass that sometimes showed us that some things lead us in places where we didn't want to go."[163][164] In the same interview, on July 12, 2017, producer Barbara Muschietti added that there was only one scene that was deemed to be too horrific to feature in the new adaptation, in which she stated,[165] "you won't find the scene where a kid has his back broken and is thrown in the toilets. We thought that the visual translation of that scene had something that was really too much."[166][167] Muschietti concluded by emphasizing that nothing was removed from the original vision, nor was the violence of any event watered down.[168]

On July 19, 2017, in an interview with Variety's Brent Lang, director Muschietti commented of the monstrous forms that It shall be taking, as well as noting the fact that they'll be very different from the incarnations present in King's story, in which he stated,[169] "The story is the same, but there are changes in the things the kids are scared of. In the book they're children in the 50s, so the incarnations of the monsters are mainly from movies, so it's Wolf Man, the Mummy, Frankenstein, and Dracula. I had a different approach. I wanted to bring out deeper fears, based not only on movie monsters but on childhood traumas."[170][171] While on the topic of what being the key to a successful horror film, Muschietti concluded by remarking that "Stay true to what scares you. If you don't respect that, you can't scare anyone."[172] Muschietti explained how Skarsgård caught his attention to embody Pennywise, while pointing out that he didn't want the young cast to spend too much time with the actor when not shooting, and encouraged the cast to "maintain distance" between them, wherein Muschietti detailed:[173][174] We wanted to carry the impact of the encounters to when the cameras were rolling. The first scene where Bill interacted with the children, it was fun to see how the plan worked. The kids were really, really creeped out by Bill. He's pretty intimidating because he's six-four and has all this makeup."[175]
Filming
Port Hope had undergone a number of changes to transform it into the town of Derry.

Production designer Mara LePere-Schloop went to Bangor, Maine, to scope out locations including the Thomas Hill Standpipe, the land running alongside the Kenduskeag Stream that in It is called The Barrens, it was confirmed on March 31, 2015, and the Waterworks on the Penobscot River.[176] LePere-Schloop said during her tour that they were hoping to shoot some scenes in the city and possibly get some aerial shots, although currently the leading locations for the majority of filming for the movie are in Yonkers, New York, and in Upstate New York.[176] On May 31, 2016, Third Act Productions was confirmed to have applied to film interior and exterior scenes for It in the municipality of Port Hope, Ontario, with filming slated for various locations around the municipality from July 11, 2016, up until July 18, 2016.[177] Principal photography was confirmed to have begun in Toronto, with an original shooting schedule occurring from June 27 to September 6, 2016.[178][179][180]

On July 8, 2016, Port Hope had undergone a number of changes to transform it into Derry; Port Hope Municipal hall is now Derry Public Library, The Port Hope Tourism Centre is now a City of Derry office, Ganaraska Financial is now Montgomery Financial, Gould's Shoes store front on Walton Street changed to a butcher shop, The Avanti Hair Design store front changed to Tony's Barber Shop, an empty storefront at 36 Walton Street changed to Reliance Cleaners, Queen Street Tattoo store front changed to Derry Scoop, a statue of Paul Bunyan was erected in Memorial Park, US flags now hang in place of Canadian flags downtown, and Port Hope Capitol Theatre had appeared to be showing Batman (1989) and Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), thus confirming the film's setting of 1989.[181][182]

On July 11, 2016, preliminary shooting took place in Port Hope Town Hall, Memorial Park cenotaph, Queen Street between Walton and Robertson streets and the Capitol Theatre.[183] On July 12, 2016, filming occurred between the intersection of Mill and Walton street, Walton Street bridge, and in front and behind 16–22 Walton Street and Port Hope Town Hall.[183] Other shooting locations included Queen Street between Walton and Roberston street, and Memorial Park, on July 13.[183] It was also reported, on July 14, that filming had been set up on the alley between Gould's Shoe's and Avanti Hair Design, and John and Hayward streets.[183] On July 15, 2016, Cavan Street between Highland Drive and Ravine Drive, and Victoria Street South between Trafalgar Street and Sullivan Street.[183] Filming moved to Cavan Street between Highland Drive and Ravine Drive, and Victoria Street South between Trafalgar Street and Sullivan Street on July 15.[183] Filming in Port Hope ended on July 18, at Watson's Guardian Drugs.[183]

Oshawa had been chosen by producers of It as the next filming location, and on July 20, 2016, filming notices were sent out to homes in the area of Eulalie Avenue and James Street, near downtown Oshawa, advising residents that filming of a new adaptation will commence shooting in the area from August 5 up until August 8, 2016.[184] On July 29, 2016, it was announced the crew had been busy on the formerly vacant lot at the dead end of James Street constructing the set, in the form of a dilapidated old house.[185] It was also remarked that the structure is a facade built around scaffolding that will be used for exterior shots.[184] The set is composed of pre-fabricated modules that are being trucked in and put into place by IATSE carpenters.[186]

On July 18, 2016, production crews had arrived in Riverdale, Toronto,[187][188][189] with filming beginning at 450 Pape Ave, which is home to a circa 1902 heritage-designated building called Cranfield House, up until August 19, 2016.[190][191] It was reported, on September 4, that filming had wrapped its shooting in Oshawa, which included the haunted house location, as well as on Court and Fisher streets.[192] Principal photography was confirmed to have ended in Toronto on September 21, 2016,[193][194] with an altered shooting schedule occurring from June 27 to September 21, 2016, and ultimately with post-production initially beginning on September 14, 2016.[195]
Cinematography

    "One of my main quests is highlighting the eyes of the actors, indeed. I believe that what is captured in the eye goes beyond what can be seen in facial expressions alone. So I always look for a specific way to highlight the eyes of each actor. We did several tests on Pennywise's eyes during camera tests and in the end, I used a flashlight. We tested a lot of different lamps and I chose a particularly powerful one, which gave a very hard light. When Pennywise looks at the kids, I wanted his eyes to look more than his desire to eat them. I liked the idea that, in his eyes, we can see that he knows the fear he inflicts. A bit like when a mother looks hard at her children to scold them. More than just scary eyes, I thought that was what the character needed. So something had to be done to emphasize his look."

— Chung Chung-hoon, on the visual power of lighting eyes in It.[196]

It was photographed with Arri Alexa XT Plus and Alexa Mini[197] in a distributed aspect ratio of 2.39:1 by Chung Chung-hoon.[198] For photographic lens, Chung used Panavision G Series Anamorphic Prime, Angenieux Optimo,[199] and Primo Prime in which Chung stated is used "when Muschietti wants to use a wider lens or needs more frame space for visual effects. The look of the lenses is nearly the same. I mix them a lot and it works well."[197] Cinematographer Chung and director Muschietti's discussions on the lighting of It were of temperature, with Muschietti wanting a hot summer with everyone sweating all the time, while admiring characters with shine on their faces.[200] Both also discussed the balance of making something realistic, but with an element of intrigue that something is not right.[200] Chung mulled over the notion of a period look for It, but ultimately felt the 1980s feel was conveyed through Claude Paré's sets and the work of Janie Bryant, in which Chung stated: "Trying to make a movie set in the 1980s look like the 1980s can be dangerous."[200] Initially he had thought of photographing with 1980s lighting rules and gear, though later feeling it to be superfluous as Muschietti and he were trying to capture a natural look.[200]

Muschietti himself found mainstream 1980s lighting too artificial thus preferred to through windows and bounce off the floor, allowing him to convey a feeling of intimacy with the characters, while admiring the approach of unsettling backlights and soft lights.[201] Chung spoke of his experience on Stoker (2013), which taught him how to light quickly using one source: "I feel lucky because some directors will always say, Can you make more light? But this movie is very naturalistic. My responsibility is to the audience and to tell the story, and if you want this movie to scare people, a natural look is best."[200]
Editing

    "The final is two hours and nine minutes from memory, the first editor's assembly was three hours and forty minutes and then after the director's cut, we were hovering just under the three-hour mark. Then we went through studio notes and audience screenings to further work the cut. Not only are there film rhythms, but there are also filmmaker rhythms. Cutting a film is a marathon, not a sprint. You have to emotionally and physically pace yourself."

— Jason Ballantine, on the final theatrical cut in It.[202]

Film editor Jason Ballantine spoke of the difference in pacing and rhythm that comes with horror in It, in which a story like this was broken up into individual encounters with Pennywise for each of the characters, thus requiring a particular approach.[203] Each segment had to have the appropriate rhythm and setup for the inevitable jump scare, to which he explained: "We were definitely conscious of trying to mix the rhythms up. Each encounter became somewhat more elaborate for the jump-scare in terms of what was shot. The first assembly was massively long. So it did mean that screen time had to be dropped, either through the tightening of existing sequences or even scene deletions."[203] Ballantine also spoke of the key factors when cutting It, which included King's novel, and Tommy Lee Wallace's 1990 miniseries.[203]

In approaching a scene for It, Ballantine mapped out his day-to-day workflow from getting his dailies to sitting down with Muschietti looking through what he's pieced together.[204] Upon receiving the dailies, Ballantine looked through the footage to see if he needs any pickups or reshoots to report back to set, resulting in Pearce Roemer, Elliott Traeger, Ferran Banchs and Daniel Miller to ensure all the footage had been copied over before returning the footage for formatting.[204] From there, Ballantine asks his assistants to arrange the selects in script-order so that he can have a better understanding of the structure, as well as work at a faster pace without worrying about getting lost in the footage.[205][204] Once Ballantine has a good chunk of the selects in the order he wants, the finished product from that batch will be about a third of the original length.[204]
Design
Costume design
Pennywise's gray costume was partly inspired by the clothing style of the Renaissance.

On August 16, 2016, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, costume designer Janie Bryant spoke of crafting Pennywise's form-fitting suit and the inspirations to which it drew upon involving a number of bygone times among them the Medieval, Renaissance, Elizabethan, and Victorian eras.[206] Bryant explained that the costume incorporates all these otherworldly past lives, while highlighting the point that Pennywise is a clown from a different time.[207] In designing Pennywise's costume, Bryant included a Fortuny pleating, which gives the costume an almost a crepe-like effect,[208] to which Bryant remarked, "It's a different technique than what the Elizabethans would do. It's more organic, it's more sheer. It has a whimsical, floppy quality to it. It's not a direct translation of a ruff or a whisk, which were two of the collars popular during the Elizabethan period."[209]

Bryant played with multiple eras as a way of reflecting Pennywise's immortality and added a "doll-like quality to the costume."[209][210] She furthered this by stating "The pants being short, the high waistline of the jacket, and the fit of the costume is a very important element. It gives the character a child-like quality."[209][211] Bryant spoke of the two puffs off the shoulder, sleeves and again on the bloomers, with her desire to create an "organic, gourd or pumpkin kind of effect", which includes the peplum at the waist, the flared, skirt-like fabric blossoming from below his doublet.[209][212] She explains, "It helps exaggerate certain parts of the body. The costume is very nipped in the waist and with the peplum and bloomers it has an expansive silhouette."[209] The main color of his costume is a dusky gray, but with a few splashes of color.[209] She concludes the interview by stating, "The pompoms are orange, and then with the trim around the cuffs and the ankles, it's basically a ball fringe that's a combination of orange, red, and cinnamon. It's almost like Pennywise fades into his environment. But there are accents to pull out the definition of the gray silk."[213]

Bryant explained that she wished for Pennywise to have an organic element about himself, with herself paying attention to King's description of Pennywise as being in a silvery gray.[214] For Pennywise, Bryant's manufacturer built 17 different clown costumes to accommodate the action in the film.[214] Muschietti spoke of the fact that the entity of Pennywise has been around for thousands of years, thus from an esthetic standpoint wished to depart from the 20th century clown framework, in which he stated[215] "I think it looks cheap, and it's too related to social events and stuff and circus and stuff. Circus is fine, but I'm more aesthetically attracted to the old time, like the 19th century clown. And given that this guy has been around for centuries, I wondered myself why, why not, having an upgrade that was 1800s?"[216]
Production design

    "One of the main sets that we worked on one of them was an evil house. The evil house had three specific moments there's the exterior, there's the interior, and then the basement, where the well is where Pennywise accesses the sewers and the cisterns where his lair is I also wanted to have this spooky tree looming at the house so we decided to build it until a crew member found this tree, driving to the office here one morning. So we bought the tree from the owner after negotiating."

— Claude Paré, on the construction of 29 Neibolt Street on It.[217]

Production designer Claude Paré commented that apart from 29 Neibolt Street, that the other main component of Muschietti's It were both the sewers and the cistern, to which Muschietti and himself worked every morning for roughly three months observing,[218] looking at the plans and attempting to figure out what was the best pattern for themselves on stages[219] they had access to a rather precise stage, though having to make profit as much as they could, of what they had.[217] Paré discussed about knowing that Muschietti and himself had to have a culvert entrance in The Barrens, somewhere in or around Toronto.[217]

The construction of 29 Neibolt Street was one of the great challenges of the production, with Paré later explaining he wanted the haunted house of the film to be visually strong and in line with the decor of the great films of the horror genre such as the Bates house from Psycho (1960), or the Overlook Hotel of The Shining (1980).[220] Paré worked extensively with Muschietti to imagine a haunted house that unleashes a presence that is discovered to be a character in its own right.[221] The exterior of 29 Neibolt Street was built in Oshawa, Ontario, with the interior scenes being filmed in a former hospice.[220]

Six months after principal photography, Paré built the clown room on a sound-stage at Pinewood Toronto Studios as Muschietti felt the Neibolt Street sequence required more scares to which Paré stated Muschietti had the concept of wanting to have clowns from different eras, in which Paré said:[222] "There were real clowns and fake clowns. There was lots of work put into dressing mannequins and putting some heads on them with masks and wigs and so on. Some of them were real people, so they start moving as you see in the movie."[222] Conceptually, Muschietti himself spoke of how he wished to keep the cistern more grounded and real, instead of going into a world of fantasy: "I decided to do a compelling and surrealistic but still grounded physical place."[222] Paré originally had wished that the sewers were composed of bricks, due to it being of more period-accuracy, however, the cost was deemed too great thus his team and himself decided to go with formed concrete which was constructed with a mixture of planks and plywood sheets.[217] Paré spoke of the special attention paid to the water drainage for the sewer, as well as the water marks that he said echoed those of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.[223]

Paré later explained that his team looked at the location, with them later having kids climb up and down to which later resulted in the construction of the well on the stage, which connects Pennywise's tunnel, giving access to the tunnels, which in turn gives access to the cistern:[217] "which is the giant set that we're shooting now, and in which Pennywise has his wagon and on top of which there's a pile of all the clothes and toys of the dead kids over the many centuries."[217] The vortex of dead children was also a creation of Muschietti and Paré, with floating being a "metaphor for dying," according to Muschietti.[222] Paré had to get down to logistics with conversations taking place about how many bodies would be floating, as well as the speed at which the children were spinning around, with Paré remarking:[222] "We didn't want to go over a year worth of kids, because all the kids that would have been dead would have been eaten in the 27 years that Pennywise was away So the kids of that era are basically a reserve for the next 27 years."[222]
Sound design

Chris Jenkins and Michael Keller were sound engineers for the film, tasked with sound mixing, while sound editor Victor Ray Ennis supervised the process.[224] Director Muschietti was clear unto the sound engineers about every aspect of the soundscape, especially when it came to dynamics.[225] During the final mix there were moments when Muschietti conducted the peaks and valleys of the sound design and score, to which sound designer Paul Hackner stated, "It was in these moments when perceived silence, created by small transients such as water drips, foot creaks, or actual silence, were revealed, resulting in a dynamic mix."[225]
Visual effects

    "Basically what they did was bring in all the stunt performers into a gym, and they learned the choreography and they motion-captured this. We built really quick CG assets for all the characters, including Pennywise, and we planned out all his transformations and the action. In the end, you could have the shape of both characters, but both of them could have the textures of one or the other. With some simulated effects we'd be able to balance all of that out and really time it to what [Muschietti] was looking for.

— Arnaud Brisebois, on the showdown with Pennywise in It."[226]

Nicholas Brooks was the overall visual effects supervisor and the visual effects company Rodeo FX worked on most of the visual effects on It,[227][228][229] completing 95 shots for the film.[230] Rodeo FX was tasked with creating a number of CG assets to either enhance or even completely replace Bill Skarsgård's Pennywise, amongst others being the giant abandoned cistern within the heart of Pennywise's lair.[230] Both from a technical and creative standpoint, the various shapes created for Pennywise presented a large challenge for Rodeo FX's modeling, rigging and creature FX teams.[230] The visual effects company Atomic Arts were initially brought in to create the paper boat sequence for It, which covers much of the first trailers, to which all of the shots were used in the final film and the company were awarded many more shots in Muschietti's piece.[231] Atomic Arts highlighted the challenges in creating the paper boat sequence, as Muschietti and Chung shot in it bright sunshine.[231] Amalgamated Dynamics worked on the special makeup effects on It.[232]

Producer Barbara Muschietti stated that It would use computer-generated imagery as a support tool in every circumstance; never as an element standing on its own in regard to its relationship with practical effects, to which she stated, "In every film, in this day and age, there is some CG, but we will use it as little as possible."[233] Andy Muschietti spoke of It containing a small amount of CGI, with much of Pennywise being Skarsgård and his face:[234] "The rest it's a shape-shifting monster, and I wanted to bring that to the screen, when he's basically trying to throw everything he has at them.", while signifying the importance of design and execution in the eternal discussion of practical versus CG.[234]

Company 3's Stephen Nakamura collaborated with Muschietti to color grade It, completing the film's digital intermediate in Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve at EFILM,[235] spoke of the concepts about the look of Muschietti's film that evolved during production, and while continuing it in the DI, the idea that a lot of the film takes place in fairly high-key situations, not the kind of dark, shadowy world some horror films exist in.[236] Nakamura said, "It's a period piece. It's set in a small town that sort of looks like this pleasant place to be, but all this wild stuff is happening!"[236] On the work connected on Pennywise during the digital intermediate, Nakamura spoke of having alpha channel mattes cut around Pennywise's eyes for every shot he's in, while using the color corrector to make changes to his eyes:"[236] Other moments Nakamura mentioned was the battle between the kids and Pennywise underground, wherein the setting shifts the story into darkness, with such an effect working powerfully in the 14-footlambert standard digital cinema version and even more so in the 31-footlambert HDR pass which was completed for the film's Dolby Cinema version, in contrast to Nakamura's work on Tomorrowland (2015), with him explaining:[236] "In the Dolby Cinema version, the scene can feel significantly darker but also contain more detail. You're pushing more light through the images overall and the contrast ratio is massive so dark scenes can be even darker but we can hold onto every scary detail. It's a very effective tool to have for this kind of movie."[237]
Themes
See also: It (novel) § Themes, and It (miniseries) § It's content in relation to television restrictions

It is a loss of innocence story with fear, mortality and survivalist themes.[238] Muschietti remarked of the film's elements of coming of age and issues of mortality, wherein he states such themes are prevalent in King's book, though that in reality these occur in a more progressive way,[239] "There's a passage in It that reads, 'Being a kid is learning how to live and being an adult is learning how to die.' There's a bit of a metaphor of that and it just happens in a very brutal way, of course."[239]

He also mentioned the characterization of Pennywise's survivalist attitude, and a passage in the novel which inspired Muschietti, was when Bill wonders if Pennywise is eating children simply because that's what we're told monsters do, in stating,[240] "It's a tiny bit of information, but that sticks with you so much. Maybe it is real as long as children believe in it. And in a way, Pennywise's character is motivated by survival. In order to be alive in the imagination of children, he has to keep killing."[241][242] While Muschietti acknowledges it to be a horror film, he, too, felt that it's not simply just that: "It's a story of love and friendship and a lot of other beautiful emotions."[243]
Influences

    "We were fans of horror at very early age; we were exposed to horror movies very early in life so there was this addiction we carried very early, and then came Stephen King. We're very big fans of his. He's my literary hero. It all started with Pet Sematary but then It came along and for me, it was a mind-blowing experience. My first reaction, when offered the opportunity to direct this movie, was basically to go back to my emotional experience reading the book when I was a child, and translating that into a movie that would blow my mind as an adult. Those were the big ideas when approaching the making of this movie."

— Andy Muschietti on King's influence in his approach to It.[244]

Director Andy Muschietti said influences on It included the "visceral" authority of horror cinema: The Howling (1981), The Thing (1982), and Near Dark (1987).[245] He also spoke of the influential contributions of Clive Barker and John Carpenter.[245] He cited the influence of Steven Spielberg in "the way of understanding story and filmmaking, because he has such a strong emotional element to all his stories.", while crediting Stephen King, alongside directors such as [Carpenter] and Joe Dante.[246] He also sought to emulate the whimsical and nostalgic perspective on childhood, while providing a balance with a much harsher viewpoint.[247] He stated: "The movie, the tone of the movie regarding what childhood is and experiences of childhood is pretty wide. There's the Spielberg moments and there's the Larry Clark moments."[247]

Muschietti spoke of bringing certain cultural experience within the genre to It, in which he highlights his devotion to horror coming from international horror films and literature, to which he stated,[248] "there's other sides to my storytelling influences that comes from of course Jorge Luis Borges and Adolfo Bioy Casares and writers like Horacio Quiroga But you know, my love for horror comes from movies that were mainly English language."[248] Muschietti based his portrayal of bullying in It as an homage to personal experience in the '80s with bullies, through the pure cruelty of Henry Bowers, where he speaks of them being very mean and very expressionist in their art of bullying, which is an aspect he wanted to explore.[248] The sequence with Judith, the woman in the portrait whose form It assumes to terrify Stan, was based on Muschietti's experience with the paintings of Amedeo Modigliani, one of which hung in Muschietti's childhood home, and which he found frightening, interpreting Modigliani's stylisation as monstrous.[249]

Skarsgård spoke of Heath Ledger as being an inspiration, while contrasting between Ledger's Joker and his Pennywise, in which he stated: "I think the biggest difference between Pennywise and the Joker character or at least Heath Ledger's interpretation is that he's far more based in reality."[250] He also sought to not attempt to emulate the performance in The Dark Knight (2008), he remarked: "I deliberately tried to make mine different because it's such a clear, iconic performance so I wanted to stray away from it as far as possible."[251] Skarsgård studied animal programs to assist him in developing Pennywise's physical behavior, in which he zeroed in on the energy of hyenas and the lower-lip scowl of bears as touchstones.[252] While speaking of the inexplicable nature of Pennywise, Skarsgård stated: "Ledger's Joker is rooted in the real; you can break down the psychology. But Pennywise is not a real person."[253] Skarsgård explained that Pennywise's succinct shuffles, whilst attacking and lunging toward his targets, were inspired by his little brother, Ossian, to which he stated: "I don't know if you've seen kids run like this, but they move their arms way too fast, and it looks really, really funny. And I just loved the way my brother ran as a kid. It was just out of sync. So I incorporated that into the character, and you get this really explosive effect. It's really unsettling when it happens."[254]

In approaching the story, Barbara Muschietti referred to Stephen King's It (1986) as "our bible", while thinking it to be interesting to respect the proper chronology, with the Muschietti siblings going into the casting process with the book in mind.[255] Muschietti spoke of using Fukunaga and Palmer's original screenplay as a basis, however, "skewed it in a different direction",[256] to which her brother stated: "It was a good script, in terms of characters and the depth of characters and such, but it didn't really tap into one of the most attractive traits of the character, which was the shape-shifting qualities."[257] Screenwriter Gary Dauberman said influences on It included Stand by Me (1986),[258] while stating: "that's one of my favorite stories so that's an element I wanted to preserve because it's there in the source material. Andy wanted to preserve it and really make that a part of It because I think those moments of levity provide a great contrast to those darker moments, or makes the darker moments feel all that much darker."[258] Dauberman also spoke of the inspiration Muschietti had upon him, as well as director James Wan, while stating that: "a lot of 80s horror movies and such helped to bring that sort of aesthetic and sensibility."...Sequel and prequel
Main article: It Chapter Two

Producer Roy Lee mentioned a second planned film in an interview with Collider on February 16, 2016, before principal photography had begun on the first film, saying, "Dauberman wrote the most recent draft working with Muschietti, so it's being envisioned as two movies."[487] On July 19, 2017, Muschietti revealed that the plan is to get production underway for the sequel to It during the following spring, adding,[488][489] "We'll probably have a script for the second part in January 2018. Ideally, we would start prep in March. Part one is only about the kids. Part two is about these characters 30 years later as adults, with flashbacks to 1989 when they were kids."[490] On July 21, 2017, Muschietti spoke of looking forward to having a dialogue in the second film that does not exist within the first, stating, it seems like we're going to do it. It's the second half, it's not a sequel. It's the second half and it's very connected to the first one."[491][492] Muschietti confirmed that two cut scenes from the film will hopefully be included in the second, one of which being the fire at the Black Spot from the book.[493]

On September 25, 2017, New Line Cinema announced that the sequel would be released on September 6, 2019,[494] with Gary Dauberman writing the script.[495] Later in December 2017, Agent Cody Banks writer Jeffrey Jurgensen was also listed as a screenwriter.[496] As of February 2018, Jessica Chastain was in negotiations to star as the adult Beverly Marsh.[497] In April 2018, James McAvoy and Bill Hader entered negotiations to play the adult Bill Denbrough and Richie Tozier.[498] In May 2018, James Ransone revealed on Twitter that he would play the adult Eddie Kaspbrak.[499] Shortly afterwards, Andy Bean and Jay Ryan had joined the cast to play the adult Stanley Uris and Ben Hanscom respectively.[500] In June 2018, Isaiah Mustafa signed on to play the adult Mike Hanlon.[501]

Filming had officially begun on June 19, 2018, and concluded in November 2018. Shooting took a total of 86 days.[502][503] The film was released on September 6, 2019, and was a box office success although it garnered a mixed critical reception.[504][505]

A prequel series titled Welcome to Derry is currently in development for release in 2025 on HBO.[506] It was previously slated to stream on Max." (wikipedia.)

"It is the titular main antagonist in Stephen King's 1986 horror novel It. The character is an ancient, shape-shifting, trans-dimensional evil 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's little brother, Georgie.

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 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 hibernation 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 bully 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 Denbrough 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
Main article: 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."" (wikipedia.)

"Timothy James Curry (born 19 April 1946) is a British actor and singer. He rose to prominence as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the film The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), reprising the role he had originated in the 1973 London and 1974 Los Angeles musical stage productions of The Rocky Horror Show.

Curry's other stage work includes various roles in the original West End production of Hair, Tristan Tzara in the 1975 West End and Broadway productions of Travesties, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the 1980 Broadway production of Amadeus, Alan Swann in the Broadway production of My Favourite Year, and King Arthur in Broadway and West End productions of Spamalot from 2005 to 2007. His theatre accolades include three Tony Award nominations and two Laurence Olivier Award nominations.[1]

Curry received further acclaim for his film and television roles, including Rooster Hannigan in the film adaptation of Annie (1982), Darkness in Legend (1985), Wadsworth in Clue (1985), Pennywise in the miniseries It (1990), the Concierge in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Cardinal Richelieu in The Three Musketeers (1993), and Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island (1996). Other notable film appearances include The Shout (1978), Times Square (1980), The Worst Witch (1986), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Oscar (1991), Congo (1995), Charlie's Angels (2000), Scary Movie 2 (2001), and Kinsey (2004).

Curry is also a prolific voice actor, with roles in animation including his Emmy Award-winning performance as Captain Hook on Peter Pan & the Pirates (1990–1991), Hexxus in the film FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992), King Chicken in Duckman (1994–1997), Sir Nigel Thornberry in The Wild Thornberrys (1998–2004), and Chancellor Palpatine / Darth Sidious in Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2012–2014).

As a singer, Curry has released three rock-focused studio albums: Read My Lips (1978), Fearless (1979), and Simplicity (1981).
Early life

Timothy James Curry was born on 19 April 1946 in Grappenhall, Cheshire,[a][2][3] the son of school secretary Patricia (died June 1999) and Royal Navy chaplain James Curry. His father died of pneumonia in 1958, when Curry was 12 years old.[2] His elder sister, Judith, was a concert pianist who died of a brain tumour in 2001.[4] Curry spent most of his childhood in Plymouth. After his father's death, Curry and his family moved to South London, where he attended boarding school before attending Kingswood School in Bath, Somerset.[5] Curry developed into a talented boy soprano (treble).[6] Deciding to concentrate on acting, he graduated from the University of Birmingham with a combined BA in English and drama in 1968.[7]
Career
ActingRocky Horror

Curry's first full-time role was as part of the original London cast of the musical Hair in 1968, where he met Richard O'Brien,[8] who went on to write Curry's next full-time role, that of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show (1973).[9] Curry recalled his first encounter with the project:

    I'd heard about the play because I lived on Paddington Street, off Baker Street, and there was an old gym a few doors away. I saw Richard O'Brien in the street, and he said he'd just been to the gym to see if he could find a muscleman who could sing. I said, "Why do you need him to sing?" [laughs] And he told me that his musical was going to be done, and I should talk to Jim Sharman. He gave me the script, and I thought, "Boy, if this works, it's going to be a smash."[10]

Originally, Curry rehearsed the character with a German accent and peroxide blond hair, and later, with an American accent. In March 2005, in an interview with Terry Gross of NPR's Fresh Air, he explained that he decided to play Dr. Frank-N-Furter with an English accent after listening to an English woman say, "Do you have a house in town or a house in the country," and decided, "Yes, [Dr. Frank-N-Furter] should sound like the Queen."[11]

Curry originally thought the character was merely a laboratory doctor dressed in a white lab coat. However, at the suggestion of director Sharman, the character evolved into the diabolical mad scientist and transvestite with an upper-class Belgravia accent. An immediate hit, a reviewer at the premiere in London in June 1973 wrote Curry gives a "garishly Bowiesque performance as the ambisextrous doctor."[12] This change carried over to the 1975 film adaptation, The Rocky Horror Picture Show,[13] which made Curry a household name and gave him a cult following. Curry continued to play the character in London, Los Angeles, and New York City until 1975.

In an interview with NPR, Curry called Rocky Horror a "rite of passage", and added that the film is "a guaranteed weekend party to which you can go with or without a date and probably find one if you don't have one, and it's also a chance for people to try on a few roles for size, you know? Figure out, help them maybe figure out their own sexuality".[11]

In 2016, Curry played The Criminologist in the television film remake of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.[14]
Theatre
Curry in New York City in 2005

Shortly after the end of Rocky Horror's run on Broadway, Curry returned to the stage with Tom Stoppard's Travesties, which ran in London and New York from 1975 to 1976. Travesties was a Broadway hit. It won two Tony Awards (Best Performance by an Actor for John Wood and Best Comedy), as well as the New York Drama Critics Circle Award (Best Play), and Curry's performance as the famous dadaist Tristan Tzara received good reviews.[15]

In 1981, Curry formed part of the original cast in the Broadway show Amadeus, playing the title character, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Curry was nominated for his first Tony Award (Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play) for this role but lost out to his co-star Ian McKellen, who played Antonio Salieri. In 1982, Curry took the part of the Pirate King in the Drury Lane production of Joe Papp's version of The Pirates of Penzance opposite George Cole, earning enthusiastic reviews.[citation needed]

In the mid-1980s, Curry performed in The Rivals and in several plays with the Royal National Theatre of Great Britain, including The Threepenny Opera, Dalliance and Love For Love. In 1988, he did the national tour of Me and My Girl in the lead role of Bill Snibson, a role originated on Broadway by Robert Lindsay and followed by Jim Dale. In 1989–90, Curry returned once again to the New York stage in The Art of Success, and in 1993 played Alan Swann in the Broadway musical version of My Favorite Year, earning him his second Tony Award nomination, this time for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical.[16] In 2001, Curry appeared as Scrooge in the musical version of A Christmas Carol that played at Madison Square Garden.

In 2004, Curry began his role of King Arthur in Spamalot in Chicago. Written by Monty Python member Eric Idle and based on Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the show successfully moved to Broadway in February 2005. It sold more than $1  million worth of tickets in its first 24 hours.[17] His performance brought him a third Tony nomination, again for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical. Curry reprised this role at the Palace Theatre in London's West End, where Spamalot opened on 16 October 2006. His final performance came on 6 January 2007. Curry was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award as the Best Actor in a Musical for the role, and also won the Theatregoers' Choice Award (getting 39% of the votes cast by over 12,000 theatregoers) as Best Actor in a Musical.[18]

From May to August 2011, Curry was scheduled to portray the Player in a Trevor Nunn stage production of Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead at the Chichester Festival Theatre and then in London. Curry withdrew from the production on 27 May, citing ill health.[19] From 26 to 29 April 2012, he appeared in Eric Idle's play What About Dick? at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles.[citation needed] Curry had originally appeared in the play back in 2007 when it was still a work in progress.[20]

Curry's career in theatre was honoured on 7 June 2015 at the Actors Fund's 19th annual Tony Awards Viewing Party, where he was awarded an Artistic Achievement Award.[citation needed]
Film

After The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Curry began to appear in many films, acting in supporting roles, such as Robert Graves in the British horror film The Shout, as Johnny LaGuardia in Times Square, as Daniel Francis "Rooster" Hannigan in the 1982 film version of Annie, and as Jeremy Hancock in the political film The Ploughman's Lunch.[21]

In 1985, Curry starred in the fantasy film Legend as The Lord of Darkness. Director Ridley Scott cast Curry in the film after watching him in Rocky Horror, thinking he was ideal to play the role of Darkness. It took five and a half hours to apply the makeup needed for Darkness onto Curry and at the end of the day, he would spend an hour in a bath in order to liquefy the soluble spirit gum. The same year, Curry appeared in the comedy mystery film Clue as Wadsworth the butler. In August 1986, he auditioned for the Judge Doom role in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. However, Curry was rejected due to a too-frightening performance. The role went to Christopher Lloyd, his co-star in Clue.

After this, Curry began to be cast in more comedy roles throughout the late 1980s and '90s such as Rev. Ray Porter in Pass the Ammo, Dr. Thornton Poole in Oscar, Mr. Hector the suspicious Plaza Hotel concierge in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Jigsaw in Loaded Weapon 1 and as Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island. Although he featured in mostly comedies throughout the '90s, Curry did appear in some action films, such as the thriller The Hunt for Red October as Dr. Yevgeniy Petrov, the 1993 adaptation of The Three Musketeers as Cardinal Richelieu, in the superhero film The Shadow as Farley Claymore, and as Herkermer Homolka in the 1995 action adventure Congo.[22] He also starred in the 1998 direct-to-video film Addams Family Reunion playing the role of Gomez Addams.

In the early 2000s, Curry was cast in the film adaptation of Charlie's Angels in the role of Roger Corwin, and in the parody film Scary Movie 2 playing Professor Oldman. Curry went on to play Thurman Rice, a supporting role in the biographical film Kinsey. In later years, Curry has mostly performed voice roles for animated films and television series. His last feature film onscreen role to date has been in the 2010 British black comedy Burke & Hare as Alexander Monro.[23]
Television

Curry started his career with small roles in television series, such as Eugene in Napoleon and Love, and guest roles in Armchair Theatre and Play for Today including as 'Glen' in Dennis Potter's "Schmoedipus".

Curry also appeared in the "Dead Dog Records" storyline of the television series crime drama Wiseguy, as Winston Newquay. He also had recurring roles on the short-lived science fiction television series Earth 2 and the sitcom Rude Awakening.

Curry has also guest starred on other series such as The Tracey Ullman Show, Roseanne, Tales from the Crypt (which earned him an Emmy award nomination), The Naked Truth, Lexx, Monk, Will & Grace, Psych, Agatha Christie's Poirot and Criminal Minds.

Curry also performed in many television films and miniseries, including Three Men in a Boat, the title role in Will Shakespeare, playing the role of Bill Sikes in a television adaptation of Oliver Twist, Blue Money, The Worst Witch, Titanic, Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic, Alice, Jackie's Back, Return to Cranford, and many more.

Although Curry has appeared in numerous television series throughout his career he has only had lead roles in two live-action series: Over the Top, a sitcom that he also produced, and the revival series of Family Affair. Both were cancelled after one season.

One of Curry's best-known television roles (and best-known roles overall) is as Pennywise the Clown in the 1990 horror miniseries Stephen King's It. Aside from one Fangoria interview in 1990, Curry never publicly acknowledged his involvement in It until an interview with Moviefone in 2015, where he called the role of Pennywise "a wonderful part", giving his blessing to successor Will Poulter; Poulter was set to play the character in the reboot, although ultimately dropped out.[24] Bill Skarsgård replaced Poulter, and while being interviewed at Fan Expo Canada, Curry gave his approval, saying "I like [Bill] Skarsgård. I think he's very clever. It'll be interesting to see what sort of clown face he puts on. because it's not an obvious clown face at all.[..] So I'm fascinated to see it."[25]
Voice acting

Curry has appeared in many animated television series and films, starting with the performance of the Serpent and Judas Iscariot in The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible. Curry won a Daytime Emmy Award for his performance as Captain Hook in the Fox animated series Peter Pan and the Pirates. His longest-running animated role was as Nigel Thornberry in The Wild Thornberrys, which ran for five seasons on Nickelodeon.

Curry was mainly known for villainous roles in animated series such as Konk in The Pirates of Dark Water, MAL in Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Skullmaster in Mighty Max, the Evil Manta in The Little Mermaid, Dr Anton Sevarius in Gargoyles, Kilokahn in Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad, 'King' Chicken in Duckman, Taurus Bullba in Darkwing Duck, Lord Dragaunus in The Mighty Ducks, as various characters Dinosaurs, Professor Finbarr Calamitous in The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Slagar the Cruel in Redwall, Doctor Morocco in Transformers: Rescue Bots, G. Gordon Godfrey in Young Justice, The Sorcerer in Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja, and Auntie Whispers in Over the Garden Wall. He also became the voice of Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious in Star Wars: The Clone Wars upon the death of Ian Abercrombie.

Curry also appeared in a number of animated films such as FernGully: The Last Rainforest, The Pebble and the Penguin, Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas, Scooby-Doo! and the Witch's Ghost, Barbie in the Nutcracker, The Cat Returns, Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties, and many more.

Curry has also lent his voice to numerous video games, such as playing the titular character in Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers and Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned, Toonstruck, Sacrifice, Brütal Legend and Dragon Age: Origins. A cutscene of Curry in Red Alert 3, portraying Soviet Premier Cherdenko, has gone viral as a meme.[26]

Curry's audiobook work includes Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Geraldine McCaughrean's Peter Pan in Scarlet, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Bram Stoker's Dracula and the Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix.

Curry has done voice over for various advertisements for products and companies such as Smirnoff, Cravendale and Paramount Network.[27]
Music

Aside from his performances on various soundtrack records, Curry has had some success as a solo musical artist. Curry received classical vocal training as a boy. He has mentioned that his musical influences included jazz vocalists such as Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong and he idolised the Beatles and the Rolling Stones as a teenager. In 1978, A&M Records released Curry's debut solo album Read My Lips.[28] The album featured an eclectic range of songs (mostly covers) performed in diverse genres. Highlights of the album are a reggae version of the Beatles' song "I Will", a rendition of "Wake Nicodemus" featuring the Pipes and Drums of the 48th Highlanders of Canada, and a bar-room ballad, "Alan", composed by Canadian singer-songwriter Tony Kosinec. In 1979 he scored a minor hit single with "I Do the Rock".

The following year, Curry released his second and most successful album Fearless.[28] The LP was more rock-oriented than Read My Lips and mostly featured original songs rather than cover versions. The album included Curry's only US Billboard Hot 100 charting song: "I Do the Rock".

Curry's third and final album, Simplicity, was released in 1981, again by A&M Records.[28] This record, which did not sell as well as the previous offerings, combined both original songs and cover versions. Still, it was the only Curry recording to hit the charts in Canada, reaching No. 45 on the album chart.[29] The writing, production, and musician roster for Curry's solo albums included an impressive list of collaborators, including Bob Ezrin, Dick Wagner, and David Sanborn.

In 1989, A&M released The Best of Tim Curry on CD and cassette, featuring songs from his albums (including a live version of "Alan") and a previously unreleased song, a live cover version of Bob Dylan's "Simple Twist of Fate".

Curry toured North America and some European countries with his band between 1978 and 1980.

In 1990, Curry performed as the Prosecutor in Roger Waters' production of The Wall – Live in Berlin.[30]

Although Curry's first album was released in 1978, he had previously recorded a nine-track album for Lou Adler's Ode Records in 1976. However, the album remained unreleased in its entirety until February 2010, when it was made available as a legal download entitled ...From the Vaults (though four tracks from these sessions had been released on a 1990 Rocky Horror box set). The album, produced by Adler, included Curry's rendition of The Supremes' hit "Baby Love".
Personal life

From the mid-1970s onward, Curry was friends with Freddie Mercury after the Queen singer had seen Curry in both the London stage production of The Rocky Horror Show and its 1975 film version. A keen horticulturalist, Curry later told the UK edition of House & Garden magazine about designing Mercury's garden: "Freddie came back from a tour and said, 'The garden, dear, it's dead.' I said, 'What? Did you water it?' And Freddie said, 'Water it, dear?'"[9] Both Curry and Mercury were also close friends with Peter Straker, with Straker starring with Curry in the London production of Hair.[31]

Curry has used a wheelchair since having a major stroke in July 2012.[32] As a result, he has shifted his work mostly to voice acting, although he has continued to perform as a singer and make appearances at fan conventions. He has never married and has no children.

In October 2020, Curry reprised his role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in a live table reading of The Rocky Horror Picture Show in support of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin to raise funds for Joe Biden's presidential campaign." (wikipedia.)

"Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Called the "King of Horror",[2] he has also explored other genres, among them suspense, crime, science-fiction, fantasy and mystery.[3] He has also written approximately 200 short stories, most of which have been published in collections.[4]

His debut, Carrie (1974), established him in horror. Different Seasons (1982), a collection of four novellas, was his first major departure from the genre. Among the films adapted from King's fiction are Carrie, Christine, The Shining, The Dead Zone, Stand by Me, Misery, Dolores Claiborne, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile and It. He has published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman and has co-written works with other authors, notably his friend Peter Straub and sons Joe Hill and Owen King. He has also written nonfiction, notably On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.

Several of King's works have won the Bram Stoker and August Derleth Awards. He has also won awards for his overall contributions to literature, including the 2003 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters,[5][6] the 2007 Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America[7] and the 2014 National Medal of Arts.[8] Joyce Carol Oates called King "a brilliantly rooted, psychologically 'realistic' writer for whom the American scene has been a continuous source of inspiration, and American popular culture a vast cornucopia of possibilities."...Career
Beginnings

King sold his first professional short story, "The Glass Floor", to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967.[1] After graduating from the University of Maine, King earned a certificate to teach high school but was unable to find a teaching post immediately. He sold short stories to magazines like Cavalier. Many of these early stories were republished in Night Shift (1978). In 1971, King was hired as an English teacher at Hampden Academy in Hampden, Maine.[1] He continued to contribute short stories to magazines and worked on ideas for novels, including the anti-war novel Sword in the Darkness, still unpublished.[23]
1970s: Carrie to The Dead Zone

King recalls the origin of his debut novel, Carrie: "Two unrelated ideas, adolescent cruelty and telekinesis, came together." It began as a short story intended for Cavalier; King tossed the first three pages in the trash but his wife, Tabitha, recovered them, saying she wanted to know what happened next. He followed her advice and expanded it into a novel.[24] She told him: "You've got something here. I really think you do."[25] Per The Guardian, Carrie "is the story of Carrie White, a high-school student with latent—and then, as the novel progresses, developing—telekinetic powers. It's brutal in places, affecting in others (Carrie's relationship with her almost hysterically religious mother being a particularly damaged one), and gory in even more."[26] The review of Carrie in The New York Times noted that "King does more than tell a story. He is a schoolteacher himself, and he gets into Carrie's mind as well as into the minds of her classmates."[27]

King was teaching Dracula to high school students and wondered what would happen if Old World vampires came to a small New England town. This was the germ of 'Salem's Lot, which King called "Peyton Place meets Dracula".[28] King's mother died from uterine cancer around the time 'Salem's Lot was published.[1] After his mother's death, King and his family moved to Boulder, Colorado. He paid a visit to the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park which provided the basis for The Shining, about an alcoholic writer and his family taking care of a hotel for the winter.[15]

King's family returned to Auburn, Maine in 1975, where he completed The Stand, an apocalyptic novel about a pandemic and its aftermath. King recalls that it was the novel that took him the longest to write, and that it was "also the one my longtime readers still seem to like the best".[29] In 1977, the Kings, with the addition of Owen Philip, their third and youngest child, traveled briefly to England. They returned to Maine that fall, and King began teaching creative writing at the University of Maine.[1] The courses he taught on horror provided the basis for his first nonfiction book, Danse Macabre. In 1979, he published The Dead Zone, about an ordinary man gifted with second sight. It was the first of his novels to take place in Castle Rock, Maine. King later reflected that with The Dead Zone, "I really hit my stride."[30]
1980s: Different Seasons to The Dark Half

In 1982, King published Different Seasons, a collection of four novellas with a more serious dramatic bent than the horror fiction for which he had become famous.[31] Alan Cheuse wrote "Each of the first three novellas has its hypnotic moments, and the last one is a horrifying little gem."[32] Three of the four novellas were adapted as films: The Body as Stand by Me (1986);[33] Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption as The Shawshank Redemption (1994);[34] and Apt Pupil as the film of the same name (1998).[35] The fourth, The Breathing Method, won the British Fantasy Award for Best Short Fiction.[36] King recalls "I got the best reviews in my life. And that was the first time that people thought, woah, this isn't really a horror thing."[37]

King struggled with addiction throughout the decade and often wrote under the influence of cocaine and alcohol; he says he "barely remembers writing" Cujo.[38] In 1983, he published Christine, "A love triangle involving 17-year-old misfit Arnie Cunningham, his new girlfriend and a haunted 1958 Plymouth Fury."[39] Later that year, he published Pet Sematary, which he had written in the late 1970s, when his family was living near a highway that "used up a lot of animals" as a neighbor put it. His daughter's cat was killed, and they buried it in a pet cemetery built by the local children. King imagined a burial ground beyond it that could raise the dead, albeit imperfectly. He initially found it too disturbing to publish, but resurrected it to fulfill his contract with Doubleday.[40]

In 1985, King published Skeleton Crew, a book of short fiction including "The Reach" and The Mist. He recalls: "I would be asked, 'What happened in your childhood that makes you want to write those terrible things?' I couldn't think of any real answer to that. And I thought to myself, 'Why don't you write a final exam on horror, and put in all the monsters that everyone was afraid of as a kid? Put in Frankenstein, the werewolf, the vampire, the mummy, the giant creatures that ate up New York in the old B movies. Put 'em all in there."[41] These influences coalesced into It, about a shapeshifting monster that takes the form of its victims' fears and haunts the town of Derry, Maine. He said he thought he was done writing about monsters, and wanted to "bring on all the monsters one last time…and call it It."[42] It won the August Derleth Award in 1987.[43]

1987 was an unusually productive year for King. He published The Eyes of the Dragon, a high fantasy novel which he originally wrote for his daughter.[44] He published Misery, about a popular writer who is injured in a car wreck and held captive by Annie Wilkes, his self-described "number-one fan". Misery shared the inaugural Bram Stoker Award with Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon.[45] King says the novel was influenced by his experiences with addiction: "Annie was my drug problem, and she was my number-one fan. God, she never wanted to leave."[15] He published The Tommyknockers, a science fiction novel filled, he says, with metaphors for addiction. After the book was published, King's wife staged an intervention, and he agreed to seek treatment for addiction.[46] Two years later, he published The Dark Half, about an author whose literary alter-ego takes on a life of his own.[47] In the author's note, King writes that "I am indebted to the late Richard Bachman."...The Dark Tower
Main article: The Dark Tower (series)

In the late 1970s, King began a series about a lone gunslinger, Roland, who pursues the "Man in Black" in an alternate universe that is a cross between J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth and the American Wild West as depicted by Clint Eastwood and Sergio Leone in their spaghetti Westerns. The first story, The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger, was initially published in five installments in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction under the editorship of Edward L. Ferman, from 1977 to 1981. It grew into an eight-volume epic, The Dark Tower, published between 1978 and 2012.[57]
1990s: Four Past Midnight to Hearts in Atlantis

In 1990, King published Four Past Midnight, a collection of four novellas with the common theme of time. In 1991, he published Needful Things, his first novel since achieving sobriety, billed as "The Last Castle Rock Story".[15] In 1992, he published Gerald's Game and Dolores Claiborne, two novels about women loosely linked by a solar eclipse.[58] The latter novel is narrated by the title character in an unbroken monologue; Mark Singer described it as "a morally riveting confession from the earthy mouth of a sixty-six-year-old Maine coastal-island native with a granite-hard life but not a grain of self-pity". King said he based the character of Claiborne on his mother.[21]

In 1996, King published The Green Mile, the story of a death row inmate, as a serial novel in six parts. It had the distinction of holding the first, fourth, tenth, twelfth, fourteenth, and fifteenth positions on the New York Times paperback-best-seller list at the same time.[21] In 1998, he published of Bag of Bones, his first book with Scribner, about a recently widowed novelist. Several reviewers said that it showed King's maturation as a writer; Charles de Lint wrote "He hasn't forsaken the spookiness and scares that have made him a brand name, but he uses them more judiciously now... The present-day King has far more insight into the human condition than did his younger self, and better yet, all the skills required to share it with us."[59] Bag of Bones won the Bram Stoker and August Derleth Awards.[60][61]

In 1999, he published The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, about a girl who gets lost in the woods and finds solace in listening to broadcasts of Boston Red Sox games, and Hearts in Atlantis, a book of linked novellas and short stories about coming of age in the 1960s. Later that year, King was hospitalized after being hit by the driver of a van. Reflecting on the incident, he said "it occurs to me that I have nearly been killed by a character out of one of my own novels. It's almost funny." He said his nurses were "told in no uncertain terms, don't make any Misery jokes"....Film and television

King made his screenwriting debut with George A. Romero's Creepshow (1982), a tribute to EC horror comics. In 1985, he wrote another horror anthology film, Cat's Eye. Rob Reiner, whose film Stand By Me (1986) is an adaptation of King's novella The Body, named his production company Castle Rock Entertainment after King's fictional town.[97] Castle Rock Entertainment would produce other King adaptations, including Reiner's Misery (1990) and Frank Darabont's The Shawshank Redemption (1994).

In 1986, King made his directorial debut with Maximum Overdrive, an adaptation of his story "Trucks". He recalls: "I was coked out of my mind all through its production, and really didn't know what I was doing."[98] It was neither a critical nor a commercial success; King was nominated for a Golden Raspberry for Worst Director, but lost to Prince, for Under the Cherry Moon.[99]

In 1999, King wrote the miniseries Storm of the Century. He wrote the miniseries Rose Red (2002); The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red (2001) was written by Ridley Pearson and published anonymously as a tie-in for the series. He also developed Kingdom Hospital (2004), based on Lars von Trier's The Kingdom....Style, themes and influences
Style

In On Writing, King recalls:

    When, during the course of an interview for The New Yorker, I told the interviewer (Mark Singer) that I believed stories are found things, like fossils in the ground, he said that he didn't believe me. I replied that that was fine, as long as he believed that I believe it. And I do. Stories aren't souvenir tee-shirts or GameBoys. Stories are relics, part of an undiscovered pre-existing world. The writer's job is to use the tools in his or her toolbox to get as much of each one out of the ground intact as possible. Sometimes the fossil you uncover is small, a seashell. Sometimes it's enormous, a Tyrannosaurus Rex with all those gigantic ribs and grinning teeth. Either way, short story or thousand-page whopper of a novel, the techniques of excavation remain basically the same.[107]

King often starts with a "what-if" scenario, asking what would happen if an alcoholic writer was stranded with his family in a haunted hotel (The Shining), or if one could see the outcome of future events (The Dead Zone), or if one could travel in time to alter the course of history (11/22/63).[108] He writes that "The situation comes first. The characters—always flat and unfeatured, to begin with—come next. Once these things are fixed in my mind, I begin to narrate. I often have an idea of what the outcome may be, but I have never demanded a set of characters that they do things my way. On the contrary, I want them to do things their way. In some instances, the outcome is what I visualized. In most, however, it's something I never expected."[109]

Joyce Carol Oates called King "both a storyteller and an inventor of startling images and metaphors, which linger long in the memory."[9] An example of King's imagery is seen in The Body when the narrator recalls a childhood clubhouse with a tin roof and rusty screen door: "No matter what time of day you looked out that screen door, it looked like sunset... When it rained, being inside the club was like being inside a Jamaican steel drum."[110] King writes that "The use of simile and other figurative language is one of the chief delights of fiction—reading it and writing it, as well. [...] By comparing two seemingly unrelated objects—a restaurant bar and a cave, a mirror and a mirage—we are sometimes able to see an old thing in a new and vivid way. Even if the result is mere clarity instead of beauty, I think writer and reader are participating together in a kind of miracle. Maybe that's drawing it a little strong, but yeah—it's what I believe."...Themes

When asked if fear was his main subject, King said "In every life you get to a point where you have to deal with something that's inexplicable to you, whether it's the doctor saying you have cancer or a prank phone call. So whether you talk about ghosts or vampires or Nazi war criminals living down the block, we're still talking about the same thing, which is an intrusion of the extraordinary into ordinary life and how we deal with it. What that shows about our character and our interactions with others and the society we live in interests me a lot more than monsters and vampires and ghouls and ghosts."[15]

Joyce Carol Oates said that "Stephen King's characteristic subject is small-town American life, often set in fictitious Derry, Maine; tales of family life, marital life, the lives of children banded together by age, circumstance, and urgency, where parents prove oblivious or helpless. The human heart in conflict with itself—in the guise of the malevolent Other. The 'gothic' imagination magnifies the vicissitudes of 'real life' in order to bring it into a sharper and clearer focus."[9] King's The Body is about coming of age, a theme he has returned to several times, for example in Joyland.[112]

King often uses authors as characters, such as Ben Mears in 'Salem's Lot, Jack Torrance in The Shining, adult Bill Denbrough in It, and Mike Noonan in Bag of Bones. He has extended this to breaking the fourth wall by including himself as a character in three novels of The Dark Tower. Among other things, this allows King to explore themes of authorship; George Stade writes that Misery "is a parable in chiller form of the popular writer's relation to his audience, which holds him prisoner and dictates what he writes, on pain of death" while The Dark Half "is a parable in chiller form of the popular writer's relation to his creative genius, the vampire within him, the part of him that only awakes to raise Cain when he writes."[113]

Introducing King at the National Book Awards, Walter Mosley said "Stephen King once said that daily life is the frame that makes the picture. His commitment, as I see it, is to celebrate and empower the everyday man and woman as they buy aspirin and cope with cancer. He takes our daily lives and makes them into something heroic. He takes our world, validates our distrust of it and then helps us to see that there's a chance to transcend the muck. He tells us that even if we fail in our struggles, we are still worthy enough to pass on our energies in the survival of humanity." In his speech accepting the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, King said: "Frank Norris, the author of McTeague, said something like this: 'What should I care if they, i.e., the critics, single me out for sneers and laughter? I never truckled, I never lied. I told the truth.' And that's always been the bottom line for me. The story and the people in it may be make believe but I need to ask myself over and over if I've told the truth about the way real people would behave in a similar situation... We understand that fiction is a lie to begin with. To ignore the truth inside the lie is to sin against the craft, in general, and one's own work in particular."" (wikipedia.)

"A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive, with a strange or grotesque appearance that causes terror and fear, often in humans. Monsters usually resemble bizarre, deformed, otherworldly and/or mutated animals or entirely unique creatures of varying sizes, but may also take a human form, such as mutants, ghosts, spirits, zombies, or cannibals, among other things. They may or may not have supernatural powers, but are usually capable of killing or causing some form of destruction, threatening the social or moral order of the human world in the process.

Animal monsters are outside the moral order, but sometimes have their origin in some human violation of the moral law (e.g. in the Greek myth, Minos does not sacrifice to Poseidon the white bull which the god sent him, so as punishment Poseidon makes Minos' wife, Pasiphaë, fall in love with the bull. She copulates with the beast, and gives birth to the man with a bull's head, the Minotaur). Human monsters are those who by birth were never fully human (Medusa and her Gorgon sisters) or who through some supernatural or unnatural act lost their humanity (werewolves, Frankenstein's monster), and so who can no longer, or who never could, follow the moral law of human society.

Monsters may also be depicted as misunderstood and friendly creatures who frighten individuals away without wanting to, or may be so large, strong and clumsy that they cause unintentional damage or death. Some monsters in fiction are depicted as mischievous and boisterous but not necessarily threatening (such as a sly goblin), while others may be docile but prone to becoming angry or hungry, thus needing to be tamed and taught to resist savage urges, or killed if they cannot be handled or controlled successfully.

Monsters pre-date written history, and the academic study of the particular cultural notions expressed in a society's ideas of monsters is known as monstrophy.[1] Monsters have appeared in literature and in feature-length films. Well-known monsters in fiction include Count Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, werewolves, vampires, demons, mummies, and zombies.
Etymology

Monster derives from the Latin monstrum, itself derived ultimately from the verb moneo ("to remind, warn, instruct, or foretell"), and denotes anything "strange or singular, contrary to the usual course of nature, by which the gods give notice of evil," "a strange, unnatural, hideous person, animal, or thing," or any "monstrous or unusual thing, circumstance, or adventure."" (wikipedia.)

"The evil clown, or creepy clown, also known as the killer clown if their character revolves around murder, 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 by Pennywise in 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.
Origins

The modern archetype of the evil clown has unclear origins; the stock character appeared infrequently during the 19th century, in such works as Edgar Allan Poe's "Hop-Frog",[1] which is believed by Jack Morgan, of the University of Missouri-Rolla, to draw upon an earlier incident "at a masquerade ball", in the 14th century, during which "the King and his frivolous party, costumed—in highly flammable materials—as simian creatures, were ignited by a flambeau and incinerated, the King narrowly escaping in the actual case."[2] Evil clowns also occupied a small niche in drama, appearing in the 1874 work La femme de Tabarin by Catulle Mendès and in Ruggero Leoncavallo's Pagliacci (accused of being a plagiarism of Mendès' piece), both works featuring murderous clowns as central characters.[3][4]

American serial killer and rapist John Wayne Gacy became known as the Killer Clown when arrested in 1978, after it was discovered he had performed as Pogo the Clown at children's parties and other events; however, Gacy did not actually commit his crimes while wearing his clown costume.[5] During the 1980s, the National Lampoon published a series of mock comic books in the pages of the magazine, entitled "Evil Clown", which featured a malevolent character named Frenchy the Clown.

Evil clown themes were occasionally found in popular music. Zal Cleminson, guitarist with the English rock band The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, wore black and white clown-style makeup and colorful clothes while on stage during the band's 1970s heyday, while his "happy-sad-happy" demeanor helped give their performances an edge of menace.[6]

The evil clown archetype plays strongly off the sense of dislike it caused to inherent elements of coulrophobia; however, it has been suggested by Joseph Durwin[7] that the concept of evil clowns has an independent position in popular culture, arguing that "the concept of evil clowns and the widespread hostility it induces is a cultural phenomenon which transcends just the phobia alone". A study by the University of Sheffield concluded "that clowns are universally disliked by children. Some found them quite frightening and unknowable."[8][9] This may be because of the nature of clowns' makeup hiding their faces, making them potential threats in disguise; as a psychology professor at California State University, Northridge stated, young children are "very reactive to a familiar body type with an unfamiliar face".[10] This natural dislike of clowns makes them effective in a literary or fictional context, as the antagonistic threat perceived in clowns is desirable in a villainous character.

Researcher Ben Radford, who published Bad Clowns[11] in 2016 and is regarded as an expert on the phenomenon,[12] writes that looking throughout history clowns are seen as tricksters, fools, and more; however, they always are in control, speak their minds, and can get away with doing so. When writing the book Bad Clowns, Radford found that professional clowns are not generally fond of the bad-clown (or evil-clown) persona. They see them as "the rotten apple in the barrel, whose ugly sight and smell casts suspicion on the rest of them," and do not wish to encourage or propagate coulrophobia. Yet, as Radford discovered, bad clowns have existed throughout history: Harlequin, the King's fool, and Mr. Punch. Radford argues that bad clowns have the "ability to change with the times" and that modern bad clowns have evolved into Internet trolls. They may not wear clown costume but, nevertheless, engage with people for their own amusement, abuse, tease and speak what they think of as the "truth" much like the court jester and "dip clowns" do using "human foibles" against their victims. Radford states that, although bad clowns permeate the media in movies, TV, music, comics, and more, the "good clowns" outnumber the bad ones. Research shows that most people do not fear clowns but actually love them and that bad clowns are "the exception, not the rule."

Interpretations
"Evil clown" makeup and costume

The concept of the evil clown is related to the irrational fear of clowns, known as coulrophobia, a neologism coined in the context of informal "-phobia lists".[13]

The cultural critic Mark Dery has theorized the postmodern archetype of the evil clown in "Cotton Candy Autopsy: Deconstructing Psycho-Killer Clowns" (a chapter in his cultural critique The Pyrotechnic Insanitarium: American Culture on the Brink).[14]

Tracking the image of the demented or deviant clown across popular culture, Dery analyzes the "Pogo the Clown" persona of the serial killer John Wayne Gacy; the obscene clowns of the neo-situationist Cacophony Society; the Joker (of Batman fame); the grotesque art of R.K. Sloane; the sick-funny Bobcat Goldthwait comedy Shakes the Clown; Scooby-Doo's Ghost Clown from the episode "Bedlam in the Big Top"; Horny the Clown in the 2007 horror-comedy movie Drive-Thru, and Pennywise from Stephen King's It.

Using Mikhail Bakhtin's theory of the carnivalesque, Jungian and historical writings on the images of the fool in myth and history, and ruminations on the mingling of ecstasy and dread in the Information Age, Dery asserts the evil clown is an icon of our times. Clowns are often depicted as murderous psychopaths at many American haunted houses.

Wolfgang M. Zucker points out the similarities between a clown's appearance and the cultural depictions of demons and other infernal creatures, noting "[the clown's] chalk-white face in which the eyes almost disappear, while the mouth is enlarged to a ghoulish bigness, looks like the mask of death".[15]

According to psychology professor Joseph Durwin at California State University, Northridge, young children are "very reactive to a familiar body type with an unfamiliar face".[10] Researchers who have studied the phobia believe there is some correlation to the uncanny valley effect.[16] Additionally, clown behavior is often "transgressive" (anti-social behavior) which can create feelings of unease.[17]

A 2022 survey of 987 adults from 64 countries found that 54% of respondents reported experiencing some degree of coulrophobia....Depictions
See also: Category:Horror films about clowns

The contemporary "evil clown" archetype developed in the 1980s, notably popularized by Stephen King's It, and perhaps influenced by John Wayne Gacy, a serial killer dubbed the Killer Clown in 1978. Killer Klowns from Outer Space is a 1988 horror comedy dedicated to the topic. The Joker character in the Batman franchise was introduced in 1940 and has developed into one of the most recognizable and iconic fictional characters in popular culture, leading Wizard magazine's "100 Greatest Villains of All Time" ranking in 2006.[34] Although Krusty the Clown, a cartoon character introduced 1989 in the animated sitcom The Simpsons, is a comical, non-scary clown, the character reveals darker aspects in his personality. In The Simpsons episode "Lisa's First Word" (1992), children's fear of clowns features in the form of a very young Bart being traumatized by an inexpertly built Krusty the Clown themed bed, repeatedly uttering the phrase "can't sleep, clown will eat me...." The phrase inspired an Alice Cooper song in the album Dragontown (2001)[35] and became a popular catchphrase.[36] Evil clowns are also mentioned in a popular song by P!nk.[37]

The American rap duo Insane Clown Posse have exploited this theme since 1989 and have inspired Twiztid and similar acts, many on Psychopathic Records, to do likewise. Websites dedicated to evil clowns and the fear of clowns appeared in the late 1990s.[38]

    The Joker, the nemesis of Batman, whose key features are chalk-white skin, emerald-green hair, ruby-red lips and (in some iterations) a perpetual smile, sometimes a permanent sardonic grin or a Glasgow smile, depending on the adaption of the character.[39] He is commonly depicted as a criminal mastermind, as well as a sadistic and murderous psychopath.[40] The character is also known by several nicknames, including "the Clown Prince of Crime".[41][42]
    The 1982 film Poltergeist, directed by Tobe Hooper and produced by Steven Spielberg, along with the 2015 remake of the same name directed by Gil Kenan, feature a possessed clown doll.[43][44][45]
    Pennywise the Dancing Clown, the main antagonist in Stephen King's 1986 horror novel It and its adaptations. Pennywise was portrayed in the 1990 television miniseries version by Tim Curry and by Bill Skarsgård in the 2017 film adaptation and its 2019 sequel.[46][47][48][49]
    The 1988 film Killer Klowns from Outer Space, directed by the Chiodo Brothers, features extraterrestrial evil clowns as the story's antagonists.[50][51]
    The 1989 film Clownhouse, written and directed by Victor Salva, concerns brothers who are attacked in their own home by escaped mental patients dressed as clowns.[52]
    The most famous professional wrestling depiction of an evil clown was Doink the Clown, a persona originated in 1992 by professional wrestler Matt Osborne in the World Wrestling Federation. Originally, the gimmick was that of a sadistic, evil clown, playing cruel tricks on fans and wrestlers to amuse himself and put them off guard; to help gain heat for the character, he was placed in a storyline feud with Crush, wherein Doink, after faking an injury, sneak-attacked Crush with a loaded prosthetic arm.[53] The evil clown gimmick would be dropped later in 1993 as he turned face.
    Violator, a supervillain demon appearing in the Spawn comic books published by Image Comics, is commonly depicted in the form of "Clown", a balding, overweight man with blue facepaint.[54]
    Sweet Tooth, a character in the Twisted Metal video game series.[55] Sweet Tooth the Clown from Twisted Metal (2012) is a man wearing a psychotic clown mask with a flaming head and carrying a large machete. He drives a weaponised ice-cream van with the same clown face on the roof.
    Jack the Clown, an icon of the Halloween Horror Nights event celebrated at Universal Studios Florida, Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Studios Singapore, and Universal Studios Japan.[56][57][58]
    The 2009 BBC comedy programme Psychoville features a protagonist named Mr Jelly, "[a]n embittered hook-handed clown and children's entertainer."[59]
    The horror film series Killjoy features a demonic killer clown as its main antagonist.[60]
    In the 2012 anthology horror film Scary or Die, a drug dealer is bitten by a clown at a birthday party, and he begins to transform into a cannibalistic clown himself.[61]
    The 2012 film Stitches features a murderous birthday clown, portrayed by Ross Noble, who is resurrected from the dead in order to enact revenge upon the children who contributed to his death.[62]
    The 2013 horror film All Hallows' Eve, the 2016 film Terrifier and its subsequent sequels feature a homicidal clown named Art the Clown.[63]
    The FX horror anthology series American Horror Story used two instances of evil clowns: The first being Twisty the Clown from the fourth season Freak Show, who made a cameo appearance in Cult where the season's antagonist created a murderous clown cult to orchestrate his rise to political power.[64]
    The 2014 film Theatre of Fear, directed by Andrew Jones, features a murderous clown character played by Nathan Head.[65]
    The 2014 horror film Clown, directed by Jon Watts and produced by Eli Roth, follows a man who, upon finding and wearing a clown suit, becomes trapped in the cursed skin of an ancient Nordic demon known as the "Clöyne".[66][67]
    The 2017 film Behind the Sightings was inspired by the viral clown sightings of 2016." (wikipedia.)