In 1990, audiences were treated to the best made-for-television Stephen King adaptation since 1979's Salem's Lot. The IT series ignited a population's deep-seated coulrophobia. The mass "fear of clowns" may have been seeded in childhoods of the 1950s and 1960s, when kids were bombarded by episodes of Howdy-Doody and Bozo The Clown. Landing an excellent cast, including Tim Curry as Pennywise the Dancing Clown, along with better than usual special FX, score, and cinematography than you typically expected of TV movies at that time, the miniseries went on to achieve major cult status among genre fans. So much so that even the modern merchandising for the It brand tends to include options for the 2017 rendition and 1990 one, a testament to just how well executed the early '90s series was.

Bill Skarsgård had the incredibly challenging task of filling Tim Curry's shoes as the iconic clown monster. With a well-conceived approach to the performance, makeup design, a few gimmicks, and special effects, Skarsgård's version of the clown works too. However, underneath the psychic projection is something that has continued to divide fans for many years. Pennywise is a shape-shifter, creating am ambiguous realm of interpretation as to what the creature actually is. The nineties show seemed set on the idea that he is in fact a giant spider monster from outer space, while the more recent film leaned into the unknowable realm of what "It" truly is. Afterall, a shape-shifter may have no default form, or it is forever able to keep that a secret with a kind of psychic cloak. This has always been part of the fabled character's charm. What is it?

With word of an It spin-off series Welcome To Derry going into development, we may have an opportunity to learn more about this particular horror icon, which blends three fears; xenophobia, coulrophobia, and arachnophobia. The creature uses fear to control its victims. At its core, the concept is entrenched in cosmic horror. It's an entity that crash-landed here many eons ago. The 1990 and 2017 interpretations of the creature differ in their approach to the tangible aspects of what It literally is. While the 1990 miniseries was criticized for getting too obvious and perhaps corny by revealing a giant spider monster at the end (even using stop motion animation to bring it to life in certain shots), the 2017 approach dodges reality altogether, which may not have achieved its full cinematic potential either. The marriage of clown and spider, maintaining an cryptic approach, may have robbed a certain satisfaction that could have been accomplished by characters truly breaking free of the creature's psychic bonds and killing it once and for all.

There is an unrealized cinematic opportunity here for a third act that is more in the realm of Predator or Aliens that could be a nice payoff after being berated with psychological horror for the majority of the narrative. Let's break down Pennywise for Welcome to Derry, a series filled with promise for sci-fi/horror fans.

What Is IT?

It Spider Monster
Warner Bros. Television Distribution

While fans of the 1990 miniseries often criticize the second half for its 'spider monster' ending, there are some inherent challenges in adapting King's novel to screen, which may have had more to do with casting and character dynamics than the final showdown with Pennywise in his spider form. The camaraderie of kids working together pitted against their adult forms in the second half presented a unique challenge to the filmmakers. With the new series, there is an advantage in designing an original teleplay prequel as opposed to adapting King's novel, which can now leverage and mine the material exclusively for live-action content. It may also prove to be a better mythology to explore than some of King's other works, which network executives have attempted to spin-off before.

Related: Children of the Corn: Looking Back at Stephen King's Fantastically Creepy Cult Classic

A Shining and Doctor Sleep series called Overlook was in development for HBO Max at one point, but the project has since been shelved. A few Stephen King properties have gone on to become franchises, most notably Children of The Corn, which has an impressive nine installments to date. This particular expansion of a King brand may be the classiest yet, with the series being a period piece set in the 1960s.

Skarsgård to Return?

Pennywise in Stephen King's IT
Warner Bros. Pictures

While there is no word on casting, fans are hoping to see Bill Skarsgård in clown makeup once again. It is possible the show may go even further back into the creature's history. The being is known as a "Glamour" which has roots in ancient Native American writings according to Stephen King, whose fans are finding a more connected universe in his works than previously known. It wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility that Pennywise could find a powerful adversary in someone who can "shine," for example.

Related: What We Hope to See in the Salem’s Lot Remake

If the show takes us even further back than the '60s, it's plausible we'll see an earlier form the creature had taken on before the advent of the clown. While we await more details on the show, which is in an active writing room stage, we can only imagine the nightmare fuel being brewed.