Hey Kids, Get A Load Of The Terrifying New Pennywise

There are somewhat understandably a lot of people who would be quite happy if nobody tried to "replace" the mighty Tim Curry in any of his most iconic roles. He will never be surpassed as Frank N Furter, he was sublimely slimy in Annie and wonderfully pretentious in Home Alone 2, but as Pennywise the clown in It, he was transformative, haunting and perfectly cast.

In that context, it's not all that surprising that some fans have remained cold to the upcoming remake (despite the fact that Curry is actually one of the only things about that series that couldn't be easily improved on). They might change their mind a little now that the first look at Bill Skarsgard's Pennywise has hit the net thanks to Entertainment Weekly.

He certainly looks the part: creepy, idiosyncratic, slightly otherworldly even under the make-up... He's a believably evil clown, and he looks good enough to sell the mythology. Those eyes will believably turn you mad, and it's very much a strong foundation for the film's agenda to kick off a whole new generation of night terrors.

It's also a good move casting someone relatively unknown: it at least slightly blunts the weight of expectation to replace Curry, because it's hardly to directly compare the two on anything but the look of their clowns. And so far, that's a surprisingly close run thing.

Are you happy with the new look Pennywise? Share your reactions below in the comments thread.