After a plethora of production shakeups and a new director coming aboard, IT is finally in full production. You may recall that the film was originally developed under the helm of True Detective director Cary Fukunaga. Sometime last year, Fukunaga chose to depart the project after citing creative differences with the studio. The project was subsequently shelved until director Andy Muschietti came aboard. Muschietti is directing from a screenplay by Gary Dauberman and Chase Palmer. Dan Lin, Roy Lee, Seth Grahame-Smith, David Katzenberg, and Barbara Muschietti are on board as producers.
Another adaptation of the Stephen King novella, the film will center on a group of misfits battling an evil shapeshifting force in Maine. With the recent casting of Bill Skarsgard as the titular villain, many were curious as to how Pennywise the Clown would be brought to life. After all, he’s got pretty big shoes (no pun intended) to fill given Tim Curry’s iconic performance in the 1990 TV miniseries. Thanks to a second production still released by Entertainment Weekly, we finally have a clear image as to how the character will appear. Based on this one photo, it’s clear that the filmmakers are going in an entirely new but still terrifying direction.
In a recent interview, costume designer Janie Bryant went into detail their wardrobe decisions. To show the age of Pennywise, the team pulled from a variety of time periods. Above all, however, Bryant said the goal “was to make him a child unto himself.” Bryant elaborated: “There is almost a doll-like quality to the costume. 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.”
From an aesthetic perspective, one of the big differences between this and the Curry Pennywise is the four color pattern. This decision definitely harkens to the medieval design Bryant had described during her interview. The buck teeth and face paint also do an excellent job at differentiating the two iterations. With that said, both designs share a rather accentuated forehead and crazy red hair. While this is just a single image, there’s a true menace to how Pennywise is designed and lit. Skarsgard, who stands around 6’4’’, towers over Tim Curry’s 5’9’’ frame. Hopefully, this will lend to the character’s imposing and menacing nature.
It is set to open in theaters on September 8, 2017.
What do you think of this design? Are you for it or against it? Let us know in the comments below!
