It remake: Will Poulter set to play evil clown Pennywise in Stephen King film adaptation

The actor is in talks to play the shape-shifting monster in two films directed by True Detective's Cary Fukunaga

British actor Will Poulter (Getty Images)

British actor Will Poulter is reported to be in line to play evil monster Pennywise in the upcoming film remake of Stephen King’s It.

At only 22, Poulter is thought to be ready to take on the role following his turn in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s new film The Revenant, which sees him play one of the robbers who leaves Leonardo DiCaprio’s character dead after he is mauled by a bear.

Sources have told film industry title Variety that Poulter is “more than ready” for a villainous lead.

Stephen King’s horror novel was adapted into a TV series starring John Ritter and Tim Curry in 1991.

Pennywise the clown in ABC's It TV series

A film version was never put into development given the size of King’s 1986 novel, which runs at over 900 pages.

True Detective director Cary Fukunaga has now started the ball rolling to make a film adaptation of It, which will be split into two feature films.

The first movie will follows the protagonists as children, with the second feature film focussing on them as adults.

Will Poulter poses with the rising star award at the Baftas (Getty Images)

Stephen King’s novel follows the lives of seven misfit children, who call themselves the “Losers Club”, as they are terrorised by an evil, shape-shifting monster who usually assumes the form of a male clown.

Known as Pennywise the Dancing Clown, the monster models his incarnation on famous clowns Ronald McDonald, Bozo and Clarabell.

Poulter has graduated from low-budget British flicks to working with Hollywood’s A-list in films such as We’re the Millers and The Maze Runner.

In 2014 he was won the Bafta Rising Star Award, voted for by the British public.

Read more: How Will Poulter shook off the tough tearaway tag to become Hollywood's latest loveable dork