How Bill Skarsgård became Pennywise again for ‘It: Welcome to Derry’

Bill Skarsgård’s full on return as Pennywise in the ‘It: Welcome to Derry’ series sealed the horror deal for fans

Bill Skarsgård returned as Pennywise in the HBO prequel series It: Welcome to Derry, and the transformation was nothing short of chilling. The show premiered on 26 October 2025, setting the stage for a darker, deeper take on the infamous clown.

On set, Skarsgård underwent extensive makeup and prosthetics to fully embody Pennywise anew. Colleagues remarked that his first reveal in costume prompted genuine shock, it was as though the monster had stepped off the screen directly into the filming room. Reporters described his height, the bloodstained teeth, and the monstrous presence as immediate and unsettling.

The creative team leaned into a “less‑is‑more” approach: Pennywise didn’t dominate every scene, but when he did appear, the atmosphere changed. Fans noticed how Skarsgård’s movements, slow, deliberate, unnervingly calm, differed from previous portrayals. The aim was to explore new facets of Pennywise’s origin, while preserving the dread that made the character iconic.

Skarsgård admitted that coming back to the role felt like revisiting something familiar but twisted. He said he had to rediscover how the clown thinks and moves, not just how he looks. This time around, Pennywise is more primal, more unpredictable, and less reliant on jump‑scares than on creeping dread.

The series itself became a record‑breaker for HBO: the premiere drew 5.7 million viewers in its first three days, making it one of the network’s strongest debuts. Social media buzz surrounding Skarsgård’s transformation exploded. Meme edits of his first onscreen moments circulated widely, hashtagged posts like #PennywiseReturns trended, and fan theories about the clown’s origins flooded forums.

While critics praised the makeover and the show’s bold vision, some questioned whether anything could top the movies’ original shock value. Nevertheless, the consensus was clear: Skarsgård’s return as Pennywise was a major reason viewers tuned in—and a major factor in the series’ success.