Pennywise is a character from Stephen Kings 1986 horror novel "It" and is the titular main antagonist of the story). Pennywise is an ancient, shape-shifting, trans-dimensional evil entity that preys upon the children of Derry, Maine). In the novel, Pennywise is a shapeshifting monster who usually takes the form of a clown). Pennywise arrived on Earth during an asteroid impact and made its home under the land upon which Derry would later be constructed, initially preying on North American tribes). Pennywise is not a stereotypical slasher villain, but a supernatural foe with all kinds of nightmarish powers at his disposal to terrify his victims. Pennywise is a shapeshifter that takes the form of whatever its victim fears the most. Pennywise is only one of its forms, and it takes many other shapes, such as a homeless leper, a woman in a painting, and a decapitated boy. Pennywise is portrayed by Tim Curry in the 1990 miniseries and by Bill Skarsgård in the 2017 and 2019 film adaptations). Pennywise is considered one of the scariest clowns in film or pop culture by several media outlets).