<P> Shawshank Prison from King's short story "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" is mentioned . In the novel Dreamcatcher, there is the description of graffiti in Derry stating "Pennywise Lives!" In the novel The Tommyknockers, there is mention of children disappearing in Derry and one of the characters sees the clown Pennywise . </P> <P> Pennywise Circus is first mentioned in the book NOS4A2 by Joe Hill, the son of Stephen King . In the 2017 film version of The Dark Tower, Pennywise Circus reappears as a decrepit, long - abandoned amusement park and is one of the landmarks that Roland Deschain and Jake Chambers notice and even make camp next to during a portion of the film . </P> <P> In 1990, the novel was adapted into a television miniseries starring Tim Curry as Pennywise the Clown, John Ritter as Ben Hanscom, Harry Anderson as Richie Tozier, Richard Masur as Stan Uris, Tim Reid as Mike Hanlon, Annette O'Toole as Beverly Marsh, Richard Thomas as Bill Denbrough, Olivia Hussey as Audra Phillips, Dennis Christopher as Eddie Kaspbrak, and Michael Cole as Henry Bowers . The younger versions of the characters were played by Brandon Crane (Ben), Seth Green (Richie), Ben Heller (Stan), Marlon Taylor (Mike), Emily Perkins (Beverly), Jonathan Brandis (Bill), Adam Faraizl (Eddie), and Jarred Blancard (Henry). The miniseries was directed by Tommy Lee Wallace and scripted by Wallace and Lawrence D. Cohen . </P> <P> The first of a two - part feature film adaptation, It, was released on September 8, 2017 . It is directed by Andy Muschietti, with a screenplay by Chase Palmer, Cary Fukunaga and Gary Dauberman . Instead of a dual narrative, the first film is an adaptation of the section that features the characters as children, and stars Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise and Jaeden Lieberher as Bill Denbrough . Supporting roles are played by Finn Wolfhard, Sophia Lillis, Jack Dylan Grazer, Wyatt Oleff, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Owen Teague, Nicholas Hamilton, Logan Thompson and Jake Sim . The second film, yet to be produced, will adapt the modern day "Adults" section . </P>

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