Warner Bros.' adaptation of Stephen King's timeless novel IT has had more than its fair share of ups and downs, but now it seems the project is finally on the right track. Andres Muschietti stepped in last year to replace the departing Cary Fukunaga, who had been attached since 2012. And the studio set a September 8, 2017 release date in April for the project. Today we have word that the filmmaker is actively casting for the iconic clown Pennywise, with one new contender entering the mix.

After Cary Fukunaga left the project, it wasn't clear if Will Poulter, who had already come aboard to play Pennywise, was staying on board or not. A new report from Bloody-Disgusting reveals that Andres Muschietti is holding his own auditions for the role, which include make-up tests. One contender that has read for Pennywise is Kirk Acevedo (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), although there are several other unspecified actors reading for the part.

It isn't known when a final decision on who will play Pennywise will be made, or when production will actually begin. We reported last May that the movie will be shot in New York City, but another report from February revealed that the adaptation will be R-rated, with shooting now set to begin in California at some point later this year. Producer Roy Lee teased in that report that they were close to locking down the script, confirming the story will still be told over two movies, as was planned when Cary Fukunaga was at the helm.

IT is based on Stephen King's iconic book that follows a group of seven children who were terrorized by the eponymous being that exploits the fears and phobias of its victims in order to disguise itself while hunting its prey. The first movie will focus on the children, with the second focusing on the same characters as adults, as they reunite to defeat IT once and for all. Gary Doberman wrote the most recent draft of the script.

Kirk Acevedo is best known for his work on the small screen in the miniseries Band of Brothers and hit shows like Oz, Fringe and the current Syfy series 12 Monkeys. He most recently appeared on the big screen in the 2014 blockbusters Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. We'll be sure to keep you posted with more updates on the IT casting process as soon as new details come in.