Stephen King’s ‘It’ Remake Finds Its Pennywise as Casting Begins
While we continue to mourn Cary Fukunaga’s adaptation of It that might have been, the remake of Stephen King’s classic horror story is still chugging right along with Mama director Andy Muschietti at the helm. Casting has begun for the long-developing project, which has officially locked down the role of Pennywise the terrifying clown, along with at least one of the young kids he’ll be tormenting.
First things first: THR reports that Hemlock Grove star Bill Skarsgard (son of Stellan and brother of Alexander, of course) has been cast as Pennywise, taking on the iconic role originated by Tim Curry in the 1990 miniseries based on Stephen King’s novel. Pennywise is arguably the most difficult role to cast, requiring a distinct and sort of eccentric actor who isn’t afraid to get real ugly with it. The Revenant’s Will Poulter was previously in talks for the part when Fukunaga was still attached to the project.
Per Variety, casting has also begun for the young protagonists of the film, a group of kids forced to confront their deepest fears in the form of the ghoulish clown. Midnight Special newcomer Jaeden Lieberher will play Bill Denbrough, previously portrayed by the late Jonathan Brandis in the miniseries adaptation. THR adds that Finn Wolfhard, Jack Dylan Grazer, Wyatt Oleff, Chosen Jacobs and Jeremy Ray Taylor have also been cast, though their roles are unspecified.
Bill is a charming kid with a stutter who brings a group of outcast kids together to form the Losers’ Club, and essentially serves as the story’s main protagonist. As fans of King’s novel know, the story is split between the past and present, tracking the group of friends as they face off with Pennywise as children and again as adults.
Like King’s book, Muschietti’s adaptation will be similarly split in two parts, with the first film focusing on the gang as kids and the second picking up with them as grown-ups. Gary Dauberman (Annabelle) delivered a new draft of the screenplay based on the previous version by Cary Fukunaga and Chase Palmer.
It is currently set for a September 8, 2017 release.