Editorials
8 Things You Should Probably Know About Pennywise from ‘It’!
Earlier this week, the world was given its first glimpse of Bill Skarsgård in full costume as Pennywise the Clown, otherwise known as It. There was quite a bit of negative backlash over his look, with many lamenting the fact that he looks too evil as opposed to an everyday clown like Tim Curry’s Pennywise. Not that it matters, but my opinion on the subject is that these criticisms are unfounded. You have to understand, this is a publicity shot. He is meant to look frightening in this particular shot. He very well may have an alternate appearance where he looks more like a friendly clown (he is a shapeshifter, after all). Also, it’s not like ABC didn’t release promotional images of Tim Curry looking scary back in 1990.
That being said, the negative backlash seems to validate the theory that horror fans will never be happy. We have created a culture of dissatisfaction that is never content with anything that is given to us. In all honesty, we should all be grateful we are getting a new adaptation at all. It is understandable to be wary. It’s not like we haven’t been burned by remakes many times before, but the latest image that was released is a solid image of Pennywise. My point is: we shouldn’t be too quick to judge. It’s one photo. Wait until you see the movie. And for the love of God go see it in theaters, otherwise studios won’t take any more risks on multi-film Stephen King adaptations.
That is the end of my rant. Time for the listicle portion of this article. Below are 8 basic facts about Pennywise that you should know before going to see the new film, which will be released next September. I’ve tried to keep it as light on spoilers as possible (spider climax aside), so many of these facts will be known by seasoned veterans of the novel or even the 1990 ABC miniseries, but newbies may find a few things pretty interesting.
1. It originated before the universe itself in an alternate dimension known as the “Deadlights.”
Not much is known about the Deadlights, but that is where Pennywise claims to be from, sometimes going so far as to claim that he is the Deadlights. Anyone who sees the Deadlights goes instantly insane, and only one person has ever seen them and survived (those who have read the novel or seen the 1990 mini-series will know who that is).
2. It’s true form exists solely in the “Deadlights.”
No one has ever seen Pennywise’s true form. While the giant pregnant female spider that appears in the climax of the novel is considered as close a representation to its true form as anyone will ever see, as it the Deadlights is a realm beyond the physical and thus unable to be contemplated by the human mind.
3. It terrorizes the town of Derry, Maine every three decades(ish).
It came to Earth in an asteroid during prehistory but didn’t wake up until the year 1715. From there, it hibernates for roughly 30 years (the shortest hibernation being 24 years) and wakes up again to feed on the fear of the citizens of Derry. It’s awakening is usually spurred by an act of extreme violence in the town.
4. It takes the shape of the thing its victim fears most.
What better way to feed on fear than to actually scare your victim? The miniseries played with this idea a bit, but Stephen King’s novel takes it a lot further. Pennywise actually takes the form of the shark from Jaws in one memorable scene. This is one aspect of the novel that I really hope the filmmakers behind the remake really take advantage of.
5. However, It must surrender the the laws of whatever shape It takes.
Pennywise’s strength is also his weakness. For example, if he were to take the shape of a werewolf (as he does in the novel), silver bullets would harm him.
6. It can be invisible to whoever It doesn’t want to see It.
Most of the time it’s just the kids who are able to see Pennywise and no one else. It only shows itself to the person (or persons) it is targeting. So while one person in a crowded room may be able to see It, no one else will. It’s enough to drive you crazy!
7. It prefers killing children because they are easier to fill with terror.
This one is an no-brainer. If It lives off of the fear of humans, who better to scare than those of us who are most easily scared?
8. It’s weaknesses are courage and heart.
For the sake of spoilers, I won’t go too much into the Ritual of Chüd, but suffice it to say that if you want to defeat It, you’ve got to have the two traits listed above.
I first heard about The Mandela Catalogue through a couple of nephews who were obsessed with the ARG’s sinister mythology. It was only after watching Wendigoon’s in-depth analysis of the series that I realized just how deep this rabbit hole goes.
In fact, I’d already been exposed to the nightmarish visuals of Alex Kister’s YouTube creation for years at that point without even realizing that it was the origin of several viral “cursed images” and spooky memes that had leaked into the wider internet – with this viral element actually being a part of the Catalogue’s overarching narrative.
Flash-forward to 2026 and the unprecedented success of Kane Parsons’ Backrooms has led to Hollywood betting on horrific internet properties with existing fanbases, which means that Kister’s unique hybrid of both religious and analog horror is finally headed to the big screen with a script written by Kister himself alongside Tyler Clifton.
While this news shouldn’t be too surprising if you’ve been keeping up with the ongoing success of The Mandela Catalogue (both myself and Wendigoon having previously predicted that the series would inevitably make the jump to theaters one day), plenty of horror fans are likely confused as to why so many folks are excited for what appears to be a Hollywood adaptation of a series of creepy .jpeg images under a VHS filter.
With that in mind, today I’d like to invite fellow readers to accompany me as I explore the origins of Alex Kister’s viral hit and attempt to explain exactly why we should all be excited about the Mandela Catalogue adaptation!
From High School Writing Project to Internet Horror Phenomenon
The first seeds of The Mandela Catalogue were sown when Kister was still in high school and developed a writing project subverting religious tropes in a world where biblical history had been altered by demonic forces. A little while later, Kister came across an analog horror contest on Reddit and decided to adapt his ideas into a standalone video where he would edit a religious kids’ cartoon –The Beginner’s Bible: The Nativity, to be specific- into something far creepier. This is how the iconic Overthrone video was born, with this viral short film taking on a life of its own as fans demanded more eerie content from Kister.
Though the video was originally meant to be a one-and-done sort of affair, with Kister actually regretting some of its primitive visuals and considering the editing amateurish and “YouTube-Poop-like” when compared to his current standards, fan reaction and free time during the COVID-19 pandemic encouraged the (then) seventeen-year-old filmmaker to continue producing content set in this same world. The Mandela Catalogue name was inspired by the Mandela Effect conspiracy theory, as the series would slowly begin to explore the subtle horror of alternate histories.
Inspired by existential dread brought on by extended periods of quarantine as well as a personal crisis of faith, Kister continued to expand his alternate timeline where the rise of Christianity had been prevented by what was presumably the Devil disguised as the Archangel Gabriel. This alternate course of fictional events led to the existence of certain paranormal anomalies that had come to be accepted as “normal” by the 1990s, which is why most of the series’ supernatural horror is presented in such a matter-of-fact manner.
Most of this background information and religious lore is delivered by increasingly cryptic broadcasts and in-universe PSAs, as well as the occasional found footage video, that often have to be decoded by clever viewers. Of course, it’s the consistently disturbing imagery that made the series so popular – much of which was originally created by Kister on a smartphone!
The Alternates: Horror’s Most Unsettling Modern Monsters
The show’s early episodes mostly take place within the fictional Mandela County in Wisconsin and depict life in a world where demonic entities are capable of using media to enter our reality. This process usually involves scaring victims into killing themselves and then repurposing their bodies as horrific doppelgangers referred to as “Alternates”. This terrifying phenomenon has become so common that local police already have specialized procedures in place to deal with the issue, though this usually consists of simply ignoring calls for help so as to avoid spreading so-called “Metaphysical Awareness Disorder” any further.
Over time, Kister would expand this mythology and incorporate different kinds of Alternates into the mix, though the story never stopped deconstructing religious concepts. The series’ second volume exponentially increased both video quality and the overall narrative scope as we began to follow the lives of characters who had already grown up in this dystopian hellscape where the government is forced to prohibit religion, television, and even mirrors in the hopes of mitigating the damage done by the ongoing invasion of otherworldly entities.
The really interesting part comes into play when you realize exactly how the Alternates make use of scary media in order to spread their demonic influence, with the analog horror of it all being a diegetic part of the story and something of a memetic trap orchestrated by the false Gabriel.
I particularly appreciate how some characters begin to suspect that there’s something wrong with their version of reality and that things weren’t meant to play out this way, especially when Mark utters the haunting line “who have I been praying to all this time?” That’s why I think The Mandela Catalogue is an effective piece of religious horror even if you don’t subscribe to the Christian worldview, as the mere idea of a world where evil has already won is a universally terrifying concept in and of itself. Not only that, but the series’ uncanny analog imagery alone is already worth the price of admission, as you’ve likely already noticed by looking at the pictures accompanying this article.
Why The Feature Adaptation Could Be Horror’s Next Big Success
It’s actually been a whole year since Kister first announced that he had been working on a feature-length screenplay for a Mandela Catalogue movie since 2022, with his proposed story following an ensemble of high-school graduates who uncover a supernatural conspiracy after the mysterious disappearance of a fellow student. This premise sounds similar to narrative elements present in the series’ second volume, but I’m pretty sure that Kister is going to go the Kane Parsons route and make the movie more of a spin-off than a re-imagining of its source material.
While notable Hollywood producers like Aaron B. Koontz, Scott Stuber, and Steven Spielberg himself are backing the upcoming project, I feel like there’s no one better to adapt this deeply personal exploration of faith and the dark side of communication than the person who first came up with it. That’s why I can’t wait to see Kister’s work on the big screen, as I have a feeling that this young filmmaker is the next one on the list about to make cinematic history – especially since this is clearly a passion project that has been in the works for years at this point!
That being said, there’s always a chance that the film could end up unleashing a fresh wave of Alternate incursions, but I guess that’s just a risk we’ll have to take.
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