The Interesting Link Between the Clown Craze, STRANGER THINGS, and the Success of IT

Stephen King actually said it himself. And it's telling. The guy's insightful. After all, you did read what he had to say about the disappointment that was THE DARK TOWER, right? You then have to ask yourself why IT ended up fairing much better even after many of us might've already seen one little TV 2-part series so long ago.

Clowns Got Scarier and Netflix's Throwback STRANGER THINGS Made Kids Cool Again, Basically

And there you have it. That's been clarified and made official by the master of terror himself, Stephen King, saying these words:

"I think one of the things that really happened was that 1990 miniseries. A whole generation of kids between the ages of 8 and 14 were scared shitless by Tim Curry and when the new one came out it was a chance to revisit that particular experience in their childhood. Then there was this weird viral bulge in stories about creepy clowns. That was in the press all over the place. So it was a number of different things. It was the right movie at the right time."

 But what about STRANGER THINGS? King went on:

"I think that STRANGER THINGS might've had something to do with it, but that's kind of an incestuous thing because so much of STRANGER THINGS reminds me of stuff that I've written. But I think that played a part. Obviously, the idea of a bunch of kids fighting a supernatural terror just sort of appealed to people, and they saw a chance to root for the good guys, which doesn't always happen in horror movies."

Makes perfect sense when you think about it. Of course, don't knock the fact that the remake of IT was quite well done. But it certainly helped that there was a throwback or nostalgia mentality behind it. We love the classics. And when they're redone as a way to celebrate them, it's hard to resist paying to see them.

Just an Example of How Previous Work Can Lead to Big Bucks for a Studio (and an Author, of Course)

In all fairness.... The original miniseries, well, didn't get a whole lot of reach (after all, it debuted on TV, and even though Tim Curry holds up extremely well as Pennywise, overall both films lacked the slickness we expect out of horror). But over time...it lasts in the minds and hearts of those who love the age-old story of some kids banding together and wanting to kill a demon clown.

Couple that with the fact that, well, real scary clowns are a true menace, and throwing back with glory thanks to STRANGER THINGS, and you have a recipe for success. Plain and simple.