Why Bill Skarsgård Wasn’t Keen on Returning as Pennywise in It TV Show

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When the new It movie, Welcome to Derry, was announced, many fans wondered if Bill Skarsgård would return as the terrifying Pennywise. He did eventually reprise the role, but Skarsgård has revealed that he had reservations and carefully considered whether revisiting the story would be creatively worthwhile.

Bill Skarsgård was reluctant to return as Pennywise for It: Welcome to Derry

Bill Skarsgård first became internationally known for playing the terrifying villain in the successful 2017 film and its 2019 sequel, both directed by Andy Muschietti. The new prequel series, also co-created by Muschietti, delves into the creature’s history in the 1960s and reveals how it originally came to be. Despite the intriguing concept, Skarsgård was initially unsure about joining the project.

He told ScreenRant he initially had some doubts about the project, but ended up finding it a positive experience. His main worry was making sure it didn’t harm the reputation of the original movies.

Skarsgård remembered feeling pleased with how well the first two movies had done, but he was hesitant about making a TV show. He worried it wouldn’t live up to the quality of the films. However, the creative team’s ideas for ‘It: Welcome to Derry’ and how they would develop his character, Pennywise, convinced him to participate. He saw a chance to explore the character in new ways.

Working on Pennywise was really exciting for me. I think we managed to show some sides of the character that hadn’t been explored before, and Andy and I always enjoy collaborating, which definitely helped. Even in scenes where Pennywise was already established, we found ways to add something new and interesting – a little extra depth or a different angle. I especially had a blast with those moments; they were a lot of fun to play out.

Initially, Alexander Skarsgård was hesitant about the series, a feeling shared by many Stephen King fans who weren’t sure another adaptation was necessary after the lukewarm response to the second ‘It’ movie. However, knowing Stephen King was involved and then hearing his positive comments—he called the series “amazing”—helped to change people’s minds.

Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on ComingSoon.

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2026-01-13 10:07