The new film ‘IT,’ based on Stephen King’s novel (and preceded by a memorable 1990s TV mini-series), features an evil named Pennywise that takes on many forms, the most memorable from being that of a wide-grin-frozen clown. Now, before the film has even hit theaters, the movie is proving to be bad for business – the business of being a legitimate clown, that is.
King, of course, knows this, as there was likely a similar issue when the televised miniseries was released a few decades ago. The author took to Twitter recently to plead his case:
“The clowns are pissed at me. Sorry, most are great. BUT…kids have always been scared of clowns. Don’t kill the messengers for the message.”
The legitimate clown business, however, has already been hurting as of late. Last year saw the “farewell tour” and closure of the Barnum & Bailey Circus, the largest remaining traveling circus act around, and the past few years have seen an odd uptick in “creepy clown sightings” around many cities in the United States.
Between the increasing popularity of ‘IT’ since the TV version and the recent spate of aforementioned clown sightings, things have gotten even tougher for actual clowns. Says World Clown Association president Pam Moody about the issue in a recent interview:
“It all started with the original ‘IT.’ That introduced the concept of this character. It’s a science-fiction character. It’s not a clown and has nothing to do with pro clowning. … People had school shows and library shows that were canceled. That’s very unfortunate. The very public we’re trying to deliver positive and important messages to aren’t getting them.”
Initial buzz on the new ‘IT’ film has been positive so far, and we’ll have a full review of the movie next week for you right here on our site!
‘IT’ opens in Us theaters on September 8, 2017.
