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Ill-advised though they very well may be, it looks like viral marketing campaigns are just par for the course when it comes to franchise horror programming, especially when you have such an iconic killer at the heart of your story. You'll recall reports of a Ghostface appearing in California streets ahead of Scream 6, a Fisherman stalking folks outside theaters right around the I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot release, and now, unsuspecting victims all over the world get a taste of living in Stephen King's Maine, as Pennywise the Dancing Clown puts his macabre mark on the studio trend.

As if we even have to tell you, loyal Popverse reader, the Pennywises appearing everywhere from New York City to Madrid are in service of IT: Welcome to Derry, the Andy & Barbara Muschietti-created TV show that serves as a prequel to their cinematic IT duology and expansion of the Stephen King mythos laid out in the 1987 novel IT. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Pennywise is doing his thing in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Warsaw, Madrid, Manila, Mexico City, São Paulo and more. Dubbed the "Red Balloon Takeover," the viral marketing campaign from the folks at Wraner Bros. also includes, "large balloon bundles and other series-themed characters and Easter eggs."

Now, we won't get into whether or not it's a good idea to put paid actors in terrifying costumes to roam the streets of an already terrified and typically armed country, but we will point out that there is a whole lot of irony in Pennywise's appearances. After all, it was just a few days back that IT: Welcome to Derry writer Jason Fuchs told Entertainment Weekly that the Clown won't appear until later in the season. Remember, the Entity that takes the form of Pennywise is a shapeshifter, so if you're eager to see the one that looks like Bill Skarsgård, you're going to have to wait a while.

Or if you live in one of the cities above, just go outside?

IT: Welcome to Derry premieres on HBO Max October 26.

In the immortal words of Danny Elfman, "Life's no fun without a good scare." Join Popverse's weekly explorations of the best opening moments of horror cinema in The Coldest Open, and then check out:

• The best horror movies of all time, according to horror aficionado Greg Silber
• The most underrated horror movies from the past couple years
• All the new and upcoming horror movies for 2025 and beyond

And much gore. Er, more. Much more.