Halloween is right around the corner and to celebrate, we’re exploring the legacy of one of the most famous monsters of all time. Stephen King’s IT created a revolution in horror storytelling that lasts even to this day.
Keep reading to learn some fun (and frightening) facts about IT (Readers beware: this blog features slight spoilers):
IT Broke a Record
While both chapters of the IT remakes made waves at the box office, the record we’re talking about took place in a bathroom. In one scene, Beverly (played by Jessica Chastain) gets trapped in a school bathroom stall—and Pennywise strikes. The crew used 4,500 gallons of fake blood thickened with methylcellulose and red dye to create the horrifying nightmare of Beverly almost drowning in blood.
IT’s Not CGI
During the filming of IT: Chapter Two, Bill Hader (who plays grown-up Richie) asked Bill Skarsgård (who plays Pennywise) what kind of CGI editing was used to achieve the effect where Pennywise’s eyes move in two different directions. Skarsgård reported replied, “Oh, you mean this?” and used the opportunity to show Hader the ‘special effect’ in action—a skill Skarsgård brings to the character all on his own.
IT’s Creepy Origin Story
Due to his background as a children’s clown, some people think Pennywise was based on serial killer John Wayne Gacy. In reality, however, Stephen King just...thought clowns were creepy. So when it came time to write It, King wanted his monster to be a combination of every monster possible—but in order to prey on the unsuspecting townspeople of Derry, this monster had to have a face. King ultimately chose a clown because he felt that children were already scared of clowns.
While many things have been found in the sewers over the years, no plumber has ever reported a murderous clown lurking in the shadows during a plumbing or sewer inspection. Even so...the next time your drain makes a strange noise or backs up for no reason, give the experts plumbers at Mainline Plumbing Inc. a call. But don’t worry—IT’s probably nothing.