Cary Fukunaga’s adaptation of Stephen King’s It looks to have found its antagonist, with Variety reporting that Will Poulter is in line to play nightmarish villain Pennywise the clown. On the face of it, Poulter would seem like a very young choice for the role, with the likes of Mark Rylance and Ben Mendelsohn having previously been considered by the studio. However, according to the report, Poulter’s audition was just too good to be ignored.
King’s epic novel is set across several decades in small-town New England, where a group of friends band together to try and defeat the evil Pennywise, first as teenagers and then again as adults. Fukunaga will split the story into two films covering each period, with Poulter set to star in both.
It’s certainly an eye-catching piece of casting, and with Tim Curry’s original take on the role in the TV miniseries remaining so iconic, aiming to serve up something different might be no bad thing. It is currently in pre-production, with an official release date to be confirmed.
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