Tim Curry’s turn as Pennywise in the original It still holds up. Depending on who you ask, it may be the only element from the 1990 miniseries that does. Bill Skarsgård’s two-pronged time as the clown may still be fresh in the mind, but for many, Curry’s performance will always be the version that sticks with them. A new documentary goes into the development of the miniseries, and you’ll be able to watch it pretty soon.
“Pennywise: The Story of It” will go behind the scenes of the miniseries and features an extensive cast of interviews. There’s Curry, naturally, but also cast and crew members like Seth Green, Tim Reid, Emily Perkins, and more. There are also scholars who’ve studied Stephen King’s books, and even a professional clown weighs in. A clown critiquing a murder clown sounds like something that would be worth the watch, wouldn’t you say?
To directors John Campopiano and Christopher Griffiths, this documentary is hitting at just the right time. “We live in an era where adaptations of Stephen King’s work have never been more prolific and culturally relevant,” Campopiana said in a press statement. Citing the various King adaptations in the works, from the recent (and underwhelming) The Stand series to the new Salem’s Lot, he added that “this documentary is arriving at precisely the ideal moment.”
Both directors have a history of documenting horror movies, from Hellraiser to Fright Night. Campopiana in particular has an affection for King’s material. Not only did he create a doc for Pet Sematary (the 1989 one), he produced a short film about It’s Georgie, played by his actor Tony Dakota from the miniseries, and what would’ve happened if he hadn’t been eaten by Pennywise.
Currently seeking distribution, the It documentary will get its world premiere on October 15 at the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia.