When It: Chapter Two wrapped up its big-screen run, it felt like Bill Skarsgård had very intentionally closed the book on Pennywise. The two films were massive hits, the character became instantly iconic and the performance helped launch the actor into a much wider range of roles. So, when word broke that he’d be returning for HBO’s It: Welcome to Derry, streaming with an HBO Max subscription, the natural assumption was that the decision came easily. It didn’t, and here’s what convinced him to suit back up.
Based on comments Skarsgård shared in an interview with Screen Rant, the actor was actually hesitant about revisiting the character at all. Speaking while promoting his crime biopic, Dead Man’s Wire, the actor admitted that his concerns stemmed from the success of the original films. After two well-received movies, he wasn’t sure a television series was necessary, or whether it risked stretching the mythology too thin:
