It may be getting rave reviews, but the newest horror classic It is annoying professional clowns.
It seems the film is making children (and some adults) so scared of Pennywise the killer clown, played in the latest adaption by 27-year-old Bill Skarsgard, that clowns are losing work, and are being hired less for children's parties and events.
Last April, the author behind the story, Stephen King, tweeted that the big-shoed performers were "pissed at me. Sorry, most are great. BUT," he continued, "kids have always been scared of clowns. Don't kill the messengers for the message."
But now legitimate clowns are battening down the hatches for another spate of bad press, following the 'evil clown' sightings around the world last year, where people in store-bought clown masks lurked near schools and in residential neighbourhoods, sometime with weapons in hand.
"Last year we were really blindsided," World Clown Association president Pam Moody told The Hollywood Reporter of the sightings.
"We've since created a press kit to prepare clowns for the movie coming out."
She explained that clowns were having school and library shows that cancelled, due to people associating clowns with the terrifying images onscreen,
"That's very unfortunate. The very public we're trying to deliver positive and important messages to aren't getting them."
But she says also understands that the fear comes from clowns being "different from regular people, they're costumed characters," much like a costumed Santa Claus at the mall.
"But no one is picking on the Santa Clauses, because that would ruin the retail business."
Newshub.
