Welcome to Derry: Bill Skarsgård to Reprise IT Role as Pennywise

Look who’s coming out of the sewer drain: Bill Skarsgård will reprise his role as the terrifying clown Pennywise in Max’s upcoming IT prequel series Welcome to Derry, according to our sister site Deadline.

Welcome to Derry — which was ordered to series at Max in February 2023 — is a prequel set in book author Stephen King’s IT universe and will expand the vision of the two IT theatrical films, 2017’s IT and 2019’s IT Chapter Two. The first film followed a group of children in the fictional town of Derry, Maine who are haunted by a malevolent shape-shifter that often takes the form of Pennywise the clown, played by Skarsgård. Andy Muschietti, who directed the two IT films, will be an executive producer on Welcome to Derry and direct multiple episodes.

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Skarsgård joins a cast that already includes Chris Chalk (Gotham), James Remar (Dexter), Taylour Paige (Hit the Floor), Jovan Adepo (Sorry for Your Loss) and Madeleine Stowe (Revenge). Welcome to Derry is expected to debut on Max next year.

In addition to the IT movies, Skarsgård is also known for his roles in films like John Wick: Chapter 4 and the upcoming reboots of The Crow and Nosferatu. He also co-starred in another Stephen King-inspired TV series, playing a prison inmate in Hulu’s Castle Rock.

Horror fans: Are you excited to check out Welcome to Derry, now that Pennywise is on board? Hit the comments to share your thoughts on the casting news.

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