When Welcome to Derry was announced, Bill Skarsgård initially stressed that he wasn’t involved with the production at the time, which will see Andy Muschietti return as one of its directors. The actor, who rose to prominence following his portrayal of the dancing clown, even lent advice on how an actor should approach the role if the prequel chooses to bring in a new actor for Pennywise.
However, following his new interview, in which the actor doesn’t rule out the idea of playing the clown again, fans are excited by the concept of Skarsgård potentially returning to the role.
Bill Skarsgård Sends Fans Into a Frenzy After Teasing Pennywise’s Return
With the release date for The Crow being delayed to August of this year, the reimagining of the 1994 film of the same, Bill Skarsgård joined Esquire to shed light on his career and the film. But during the conversation, when the Barbarian star was asked if he was willing to return as Pennywise in the future, the actor answered “maybe”. He also shared a similar response when asked if there was any discussion going on.
Furthermore, the actor hinted at his involvement in the IT prequel, as both Skarsgård and series creator Andy Muschietti had headed to Toronto for filming at the same time. When asked about the project he was involved in, the John Wick star refused to spoil it, which has now further elevated the speculation surrounding his return.
Noooo. No body will do a better job than Bill Skarsgård. pic.twitter.com/BsZcgz8YX3
— Princeton🍷🥏 (@badinflu3nc3_) May 29, 2024
Hahah that’s gotta be a yes. Would make no sense for him to not want to return given the MASSIVE success of the character and movies.
— CinemaBums (@Cinema_Bums) May 29, 2024
That’s gotta mean yes
— Julio Ramirez (@Jayrane98) May 29, 2024
LETS GOOOOOOO
— Gabe ☘️⚡️ (@CelticsGotNext) May 29, 2024
Didn’t he already just spoiled it then smh
— Joe (DCU era) (@Joefanatic23) May 29, 2024
Considering how vocal Muschietti has been about his admiration for Skarsgård’s ability to transform from cute to “ancestral and dark”, it’d make sense for the director to want to work with him again.
Playing Pennywise Made Bill Skarsgård More Confident as an Actor
When The Crow star initially set out to tackle the dancing clown, Skarsgård recalled being “incredibly nervous to start this job”. This was a result of the fan backlash at the time, as when WB released his first photo in the Pennywise costume, netizens didn’t take it kindly. And Skarsgård, who was 26 at the time, initially struggled to deal with being the center of attention.
He explained:
When you are twenty-six, you don’t feel young at all, but now, looking back at it, I was a kid. It was fairly early on in my career to take on something that had so many eyeballs and expectations on it.
But despite the initial roadblocks, the actor lived up to the challenge of doing Pennywise right, and the film’s success gave him the confidence to “take on any challenge” moving forward.
This certainly reflects on Skarsgård’s diverse filmography, as he hasn’t backed away from pushing himself to his limits, and after The Crow, he is now set to appear in Robert Eggers’s Nosferatu.
Welcome to Derry is slated to hit Max at some point in 2025.
