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Stephen King’s Pennywise was so scary and controversial until advertisers were nervous, and the infamous clown still has pop culture shaken.
When It, the 1990 miniseries based on the Stephen King novel, hit the nation’s television screens, there was one character in particular who became a deep-seated part of fans’ psyches. Pennywise. And Tim Curry’s characterization of the bulbous forehead Pennywise created an unhealthy fear of clowns within the hardiest of hearts. Since the original series, the fictional town of Derry, Maine and its characters has seen remakes and an upcoming prequel with other actors wearing the thick clown makeup.
The horror story and its child-killer villain is so popular that a documentary, Pennywise: The Story of It has been filmed and will be released in two select theaters – Boston’s Coolidge Corner Theater on July 8 and the Columbus Theatre in Providence, RI on July 9 with other theatrical engagements to be confirmed before releasing on VOD and Screambox on July 26. The documentary will also be released for streaming on platforms like Amazon Prime, Apple and again, on Screambox, which is available on iOS, Android, Prime Video, YouTubeTV and Comcast.
Tim Curry’s Pennywise Is Still One of the Most Frightening Modern-Day Monsters Ever
The documentary trailer will take fans back to the doomed haunts of Derry, Maine. Richard Thomas, who played protagonist Bill Denbrough discusses the lasting impact the miniseries has had on people since it first aired. There is also discussion about airing something so sinister on television at the time. Advertisers were worried about televising a children-in-jeopardy story. Viewers will also see the legend himself, Tim Curry, along with other original actors, a wealth of archival material and never-before-seen footage. See trailer below:
Tim Curry, who left mighty big clown shoes to fill, famously turned the clown act into something extremely menacing with his monstrous contact lenses and shark-like teeth. To say the way Curry sneered or delivered punchlines is memorable would be an understatement. Plus, no one ever looks at balloons the same way again. Pennywise is a constant reminder that underneath every painted-on smile or big grin is someone capable of anything. As Pennywise tells a horrified member of the Losers Club:
“I am every nightmare you’ve ever had. I am your worse dream come true. I’m everything you ever were afraid of.”
The documentary dives into the process it took to bring King’s visceral story to television and how doing so changed the game for the genre. It is written by co-director John Campopiano (Unearthed and Untold: The Path to Pet Sematary) and Christopher Griffiths (Leviathan: The Story of Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II).
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