Stephen King's “It”: 10 Things The Remake Must Get Right
6. Bill Skarsgard's Performance Must Be Memorable
I've already talked about how the 1990 version of Pennywise is interesting (and frightening) from a visual standpoint, but the aesthetic would mean nothing if it wasn't inhabited by the terrific Tim Curry.
Curry's performance is, in a word, manic, bouncing between joyful and enraged without ever letting up on the disturbed undertone. Physically, too, he's extremely memorable, never stationary for more than a couple seconds, shaking his head and his body and throwing around his arms and legs.
Bill Skarsgard, then, has a lot to live up to. That's not to say he should study Curry's performance and attempt to replicate it – such a strategy would only lead to unfortunate comparisons. Nevertheless he's got to stand out in a unique way: the main appeal of It, after all, is Pennywise.