It (character)
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, manipulating reality, and going unnoticed by adults etc. 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.
| Pennywise | |
|---|---|
| Stephen King character | |
Top: Tim Curry as Pennywise in the 1990 miniseries Bottom: Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise in the 2017 movie | |
| First appearance | It (1986) |
| Created by | Stephen King |
| Portrayed by | 1990 miniseries: Tim Curry 2017 film and 2019 sequel: Bill Skarsgård |
| In-universe information | |
| Alias | It (sometimes spelled "IT") Pennywise The Dancing Clown Robert Gray (also Bob Gray) |
| Primary location | Derry, Maine |
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. King thought of a troll like the one in the children's tale "Three Billy Goats Gruff", 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 and by Bill Skarsgård in the 2017 film adaptation and its 2019 sequel It Chapter Two.