Fans of Screambox’s Pennywise: The Story of IT horror documentary won’t have to wait 27 years to add this deep dive to their library. After a limited theatrical release in July, this critically praised documentary is now available on Blu-ray in a Collector’s Edition that includes exclusive extras for anyone interested in learning more about the film’s production. Expect the Collector’s Edition release date to be November 22. IT, a two-part television miniseries directed by Tommy Lee Wallace and airing in 1990, became the seminal childhood horror experience for many viewers just four years after King’s novel was published. IT, starring Tim Curry as the nightmare clown that feeds on children, revolutionised the television horror genre.
Directed by John Campopiano and Christopher Griffiths, Pennywise: The Story of IT is a treasure trove of rare interviews and unseen archive footage. Additional photographs and audio with Curry are included in the documentary as well as a behind-the-scenes video of the cast and crew. The Collector’s Edition Blu-ray is now up for pre-order on SCREAMBOX, the streaming service founded by Cinedigm and Bloody Disgusting. The Collector’s Edition Blu-ray is the first of its kind from SCREAMBOX, and it comes with a set of six supplementary materials that are not included in any other release of the film. As Pennywise, the evil creature who awoke from hibernation in King’s imaginary town of Derry, Maine and preyed on the children of the town by preying on their fear, Curry starred in the original series.
The miniseries had two parts and was shown on ABC; it was written by Wallace and Lawrence D. Cohen. Part one followed the doomed group of kids as they learned of Pennywise, and part two showed them as adults coming back to Derry to fulfil a vow they’d made in case the creature returned. A plethora of talented actors, including Emily Perkins, Seth Green, John Ritter, Annette O’Toole, Olivia Hussey, Tim Reid, and Richard Thomas, appeared in the series. A number of the original cast members, such as Thomas, Green, and Curry, and the film’s director, Wallace, are interviewed in this documentary.
Here are the six special extras you’ll only find in the Collector’s Edition:
“A Deeper Look at the Music,” featuring an in-depth interview with composer Richard Bellis on what inspired his legendary soundtrack, and “The Book Cover,” which revisits the original “IT” text and cover design by artist Bob Giusti.
The story-driven film “Georgie: A Short Film” stars original miniseries actors.
Cast and crew members of the miniseries open up about their personal phobias from infancy in the episode “Childhood Phobias.”
Short interviews with miniseries extras and other crew members may be found in “IT’s” Extras.
Plus, “The Influence Continues,” provides an extensive discussion on the miniseries’s legacy and durability.
In case you missed it, you can pre-order the Blu-ray on Amazon right now, and it will drop on November 22. The SCREAMBOX original movie “Pennywise: The Story of IT” is now available to watch online.