In today's society, it's sometimes hard to remember that clowns were once considered mere amusing entertainers, primarily intended to delight children. The idea of the creepy clown has permeated pop culture to such an extent that it's rare to see a clown depicted as anything less than unsettling, even when presented within a comedic context. One of the people arguably most responsible for this mistrust of clowns is prolific horror author Stephen King, whose best-selling novel IT features perhaps the most terrifying clown in history, Pennywise.

As popular as King's novel was, Pennywise became even more iconic with ABC's 1990 miniseries adaptation of IT, one of the most watched TV events of that year. While the miniseries has its flaws, one thing most agree on is just how chilling Tim Curry's performance as Pennywise was, especially when menacing the child versions of The Losers Club. Even those who feel that director Andy Muschetti's upcoming R-rated theatrical adaptation of IT could likely lead to a more faithful and fulfilling take on the book, tend to worry about whether new Pennywise actor Bill Skarsgard can possibly match Curry.

For those concerned about the theatrical version of IT, here comes some good news that might help alleviate worries. Over the weekend, IT producer Seth Grahame-Smith (The LEGO Batman Movie) took to Instagram, and proceeded to reveal an encouraging message he had received. According to the sender, King himself has now seen the new IT movie, and has nothing but kind sentiments to express concerning it. Check out the original post below.

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King has not always been kind to the various adaptations of his written work, famously so in the case of Stanley Kubrick's legendary movie version of The Shining. Of course, that instance is a case where the masses at large very much disagree with King, as Kubrick's Shining is often cited as being one of the greatest horror films of all-time. Still, those who have read King's book would have to admit that Kubrick did indeed change a lot, especially concerning the character of Jack Torrance. In other words, if King digs the new IT, that definitely points to it being an at least mostly faithful take on his material.

One wonders if King will eventually elaborate personally on why exactly he enjoyed the new adaptation of IT, as it would surely be quite interesting to fans to read what King thinks about Skarsgard's Pennywise vs. Curry's version. For now though, the fact that King has given IT his stamp of approval is definitely a hopeful sign for its quality.

NEXT: IT Part 2 May Start Filming This Year

Source: Seth Grahame-Smith