It: Disturbing deleted scene showed Pennywise before he was a clown

Back in September, It star Bill Skarsgård revealed a "really disturbing" flashback sequence that was filmed, but cut from the final movie.

"There was a scene we shot that was a flashback from the 1600s, before Pennywise [was Pennywise]," the actor described. "The scene turned out really, really disturbing. And I’m not the clown. I look more like myself."

"It’s very disturbing, and sort of a backstory for what It is, or where Pennywise came from," Skarsgård added. "That might be something worth exploring in the second one. The idea is the It entity was dormant for thousands and thousands of years. The [flashback] scene hints on that."

Thanks to Reddit's ever intrepid work, the scene in question has now been uncovered in full, taken from a 2016 draft of It penned by Gary Dauberman, working alongside director Andy Muschietti.

This was the version of the script penned when Muschietti first took over, after Cary Fukunaga departed the project - having reportedly pushed for an iteration of the Stephen King novel much darker than what eventually made it to screen.

Here's the scene in full, as posted by user "lundgrenos":

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INT. WELLHOUSE - NIGHT ABIGAIL, 19. Rushes in and SLAMS the door. As if trying to keep Satan himself out. She clutches her BABY to her breast. Kneels by DYING EMBERS in the hearth. She blows on ‘em but a flame never catches. Her Baby starts to fuss... ABIGAIL Hush now, shhhh... it’ll be -- She stops.

Realizes that the SMALL CANDLE CHANDELIER slowly spins above her. As if some unnatural force has caused its light to rotate around the room, like tiny primitive searchlights. She hears something slithering in the gray shadows by the Well. Occasionally we catch glimpses of a BLACK SILHOUETTE. Shifting its shape. As if trying to decide on a form.

ABIGAIL (CONT’D): Please, Devil... leave us be... Shape shifts again. A beam of light passes, revealing PENNYWISE, naked, lithe, flesh pale and translucent, a half- formed imitation of a human, opens his maw full of large razor sharp teeth, dripping with saliva. As the Tin Can spins clockwise, Pennywise moves counter around the room. Each time the light hits his face -- It’s different. A Man. A Woman. A Beast. A Monster.

PENNYWISE: You mistake me woman. No mere devil, I am the Eater of Worlds. His voice is guttural, unnatural. ABIGAIL But my child, not my child... He is innocent...

PENNYWISE: So you say. The Baby SCREAMS. Pennywise smiles. PENNYWISE (CONT’D) Beautiful fear... ABIGAIL I pray Thee, take me. Abigail shuffles back. PENNYWISE I will. And then, him. And thy husband and the rest of thy children, and all the savages who brought you here. And when you all rot in the earth, I will pick thy bones dry until no meat is left to pick.

And then I will seek out thy bones and consume thy souls until nothing is left but the weeds! (beat) Or you will occupy yourself otherwise and not interfere. I will take her and you will live, and those of thy other children -- in whom I take no interest. And you will thank ME fever and frost did not damn you to the soil. Abigail looks down at her baby again.

She’s shaking, doesn’t want to let go. Behind her, the Door OPENS. A Little Boy, 6, asks -- BOY Mama? ABIGAIL NO! OUT! NOW! Frightened by his mother, the Boy runs. Abigail turns back to Pennywise. Wherever he may be now in the room. The light somehow seems to spin faster now. She kisses her baby and sets it down. It BAWLS. ABIGAIL : I’m sorry, I’m so sorry...

She turns away from the baby. Faces those dying embers. We keep on her face as they seem to begin GLOWING BRIGHTER AS -- OVER HER SHOULDER -- OUT OF FOCUS -- Pennywise crawls over to the Baby and starts to feast. SHARP CRY FROM THE BABY CUT OFF as we hear a CRUNCH.

Abigail continues to look into the BRIGHT ORANGE GLOW of not the flickering fire... ...but the DEADLIGHTS. Her expression changing. Fear. Denial. Grief. Acceptance. And then nothing. Just a glazed look. AS IF NOTHING HORRIFIC IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING BEHIND HER.

The question is now whether the scene will make it into the deleted scenes on the film's home entertainment release, or whether it might be reserved for use in Chapter 2, as potentially suggested by Skarsgård himself.

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