When it comes to playing a terrifying movie villain, it’s safe to say Bill Skarsgård knows a thing or two. Not only is he part of the John Wick cast for the new movie, but he also did a brilliant job of playing the creepy clown Pennywise in the recent IT horror movies.
Skarsgård did such a good job as Pennywise that it’s hard to imagine anyone else taking on the role now. There may be some confusion down the road then because there’s a prequel TV series on the way called Welcome to Derry, which will detail the horrific past of Pennywise’s hold over the small town.
Speaking to Jake’s Takes, Skarsgård explained how he is not currently involved in the upcoming horror series, and also offered some advice to whoever does don the iconic clown make-up next.
“As of now, I’m not currently involved with it,” Skarsgård admitted. “If someone else gets to do it, my advice would be: Do it your own. Make it your own. Have fun with it. What I found pleasurable about that character is how abstract he was.”
Skarsgård has one more piece of advice, too, and that is to read Stephen King’s original book: “There’s so so many tantrums and abstractions that you can kind of sit and decipher and that’s what I did with the character. The book is really a gift in that way. So if someone would take it on, just go through the book and find all the clues. They’re so out there that you can kind of make your own conclusions to them.”
It remains to be seen whether Skarsgård gets the nod to continue as the character or if they will take things in a different direction. We hope he does return, but if not, we’re sure whoever is picked will heed Skarsgård’s advice and do a terrific job.
For more scary stuff, check out our lists of the best slasher movies and the best ghost movies, or simply find out what are the best movies of all time, period. You may also be keen to learn more about the Insidious 5 release date, if you’re a horror veteran.