IT True Story: Real-Life Crimes That Inspired Pennywise

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Stephen King’s 1986 horror novel IT has undergone three vastly different adaptations while continuing to focus on the fear of its terrifying clown, Pennywise, who was inspired by true crime and societal fears. The clown became a symbol of childhood horrors come to life when he published the nearly one-thousand-page story. While it contains various themes of the paranormal, supernatural, and even science-fiction, the real-life inspiration that influenced King’s creation of Pennywise has remained the most horrific.

The novel was initially adapted into a made-for-television miniseries by Tommy Lee Wallace of Halloween III: Season Of The Witch fame. In 2017 and 2019, Andy Muschietti took on the task of adapting the novel once more for theatrical release. Both have found success among King fans, whether as a cult following in the case of Wallace’s miniseries or with critical acclaim like Muschietti’s. Staying true to the source material, both films follow the “Losers Club” as adults and children as they battle the evil clown known as Pennywise who is murdering children in the town of Derry, Maine.

Related: What Does Pennywise Really Look Like In IT?

Pennywise and his abuse of children is central to the plot line in every adaptation and in the book itself. While King was writing the lengthy novel, the influences of his surroundings and the headlines that were plastered all over news stations deeply impacted the creature that would become the heart of his novel. A shapeshifting clown from another dimension is scary enough, but the real-life influences that created him are even more disturbing and add an unnerving depth to the familiar horror icon Pennywise.

John Wayne Gacy was a notorious serial killer and sex offender who