‘s first outing as Pennywise in the 2017 movie It was thrilling, fascinating, and horrifying at the same time. Skarsgard’s take on the character was a far cry from what fans had seen before. The It films are based on the 1986 eponymous novel by Steven King and have been previously adapted into a television series in the early 90s. Tim Curry‘s Pennywise was a deep-voiced menacing monster, whereas Skarsgard was a departure from this. He lowered his voice making himself sound more innocent and childlike which is weirdly more fearful.

Furthermore, Skarsgard was very dedicated to doing justice to this role. He went above and beyond to prepare for it. He was a relatively unknown actor at the time who wanted to get the part. So to prepare for the role, he drove around Los Angeles in a full face of clown makeup, practicing different maniac laughs. He was fascinated with the character and did his best to bring it to life. (via Esquire)

Pennywise in IT
Bill Skarsgard’s Pennywise | Credits: Warner Bros.

An act of such hard work and dedication should be rewarded with a worthy payback. The film’s success did wonders for Skarsgard’s career. The It movies, directed by Andy Muschietti, established the Swedish actor as a bankable horror star. He went from being known as one of the Skardgard brothers to the most popular person in the family.

Skarsgard poured his heart and soul into this character. And fans wondered how much he paid for it. Although the exact details of his payment are unknown, it is estimated that it would have been higher than the $65,000 and $75,000 bracket as this is what the kids in the film would have been paid. (via The Hollywood Reporter) And as the lead, it is fair to assume that Skarsgard would have been paid significantly higher.

Moreover, Skarsgard’s fees would have only been increased with It Chapter Two as its prequel was an immense success bringing the Swedish star into the limelight.

Skarsgard is set to resume his role
It | Credits: Warner Bros.

On popular demand, the It moviemakers have curated a TV series as a prequel to the events of the films, which will be released this year on HBO. It is titled It-Welcome to Derry and Skarsgard is set to resume his role as the immensely-feared clown.

Initially, the actor was apprehensive about returning to Pennywise as he had moved on to different characters. But he was later convinced due to his close bond with the Muschiettis. He will also be acting as the executive producer on the show. It-Welcome to Derry is easily one of the most anticipated shows of 2025. And now that Skarsgard is a much bigger star, it is speculated that he could easily demand $1 million per episode for the prequel series (via Spoiler). Given that he is also the executive producer of the show, he will take home a hefty sum with this project.

It-Welcome to Derry reportedly will be a three-season series with the first season comprising nine episodes.