Bill Skarsgard Says ‘IT’ Sequel Will Delve Into Pennywise’s Mind

The latest adaptation of Stephen King‘s IT has exceeded all expectations, going on to be the most successful horror film of all time. A sequel will be heading to theaters in 2019, with star Bill Skarsgard recently revealing the sequel will explore the deepest, darkest corners of his villainous character’s mind.

“The first movie worked so well at what it is trying to do, I think, and ultimately that is the kids’ story, and you follow these kids and you sort of fall in love with these kids,” the actor told IGN. “And the second one will be the adult story. And I think the right way to do it is to make that movie actively different. … I think there might be worth exploring sort of the psychological aspects of horror, but also maybe the sort of cosmological existence of this being. What is he, and where does he come from?”

In King’s nearly 1,200-page novel, a group of children is tormented by an otherworldly threat lurking the town of Derry, ME. The kids confront the threat, thinking they’ve solved all their problems, only for those problems to surface again 27 years later.

Rather than cram the entire story into one film, director Andy Muschietti focused on the kids’ storyline with the first film while the second film will incorporate flashbacks and the adult story.

“I’m gonna get through those 1,200 pages, I guess, at least one more time before going into part two of that film,” Skarsgard actor of preparing to film the second installment.

The creature in the story takes many forms, with the most regular form being that of Pennywise the clown, which Skarsgard portrays. The true origin of the monster, however, might lie in another plane of existence.

“And, you know, it’s hardly answered in the novel, either,” he said of the evil entity’s true nature. “I mean, it’s very abstract. And I kind of like that. It could be almost a sort of [serialized] sort of psychedelic trip if you go into the mind of Pennywise. And if you’ve read the novel you know that they do actually go into his mind. Or they go into this transdimensional place, and they sort of beat him in this place. Which might be interesting, what that place would be, and what would it look like. There’s opportunities, I think, and I’m excited for it.”

The next installment of IT hits theaters on September 6, 2019.

[H/T IGN]