New look at Bill Skarsgård's Pennywise in IT: Welcome to Derry proves the reveal was worth the wait

It: Welcome to Derry is finally welcoming Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise into the story, with the evil creature set to appear in the second half of the season. The villain's origins have been a key part of the narrative so far, establishing that the creature crash-landed on Earth in a meteor before humans even existed, and now we can expect the Dancing Clown to be back to its usual shenanigans.

Ahead of the new episodes, Bloody Disgusting offered an exclusive look at Skarsgård (you can see the picture below), who is reprising the role after starring in It and It: Chapter Two. The image proves that the reveal was worth the wait.

Earlier this week, a mid-season trailer confirmed that we'll finally see more of Pennywise in the remaining four episodes of the show. After learning about his origins, the story shows the US government's attempts to capture the creature to use its powers as a weapon, including characters and concepts from across Stephen King's books.

Although some fans might feel disappointed at the lack of Pennywise in the show so far, it actually cements It: Welcome to Derry as the most loyal adaptation of Stephen King's original novel yet. It also surely makes for an epic second half of the season, starting this Sunday.

In the prequel series, which takes place in 1962, 14-year-old Will Hanlon (eventual father of present-day Losers Club member Mike Hanlon) moves to Derry when his father, a Major in the US Air Force, is stationed there. Despite being bullied, Will manages to form a friendship with a fellow outcast, forming the first iteration of the Loser's Club which will come face-to-face with Pennywise.

"When I first met Pennywise, [Bill] was in full costume, full makeup. And it was actually the first scene we had with him. It was super scary. I think I almost crapped my pants," 12-year-old actor Arian S. Cartaya told GamesRadar+.

It: Welcome to Derry airs on HBO every Sunday at 9pm PT/ET. Stay up to date on new episodes with our Welcome to Derry release schedule.