Pennsylvania State Police has issued a warning about the possible return of “creepy clown sightings” ahead of the release of Stephen King‘s “It” next week.
“With the fall of 2017 upon us, it is anticipated that similar ‘creepy clown’ sightings could be reported starting as soon as September, in part due to the fact that the movie ‘It’ will be released in theaters on 9/8/2017,” the bulletin reads, according to CBS News. “The movie, which is adapted from a Stephen King novel by the same name, portrays an evil demon who takes on the shape of a clown named Pennywise, ‘that stalks kids from within the sewers and killing them when they least expect it.’”
Sightings were reported in 16 states last year, which included Pennsylvania. The bulletin also read that these sightings are not new, given that they were reported nationwide as early as the 1980s.
“The creepy clown craze in September 2016 resulted in at least a dozen people arrested in Georgia, Alabama, and Virginia for either taking part in the menacing stunt or for making false reports.”
Earlier this week, The Hollywood Reporter reported that the legitimate clown business has taken a hit due to the “scary clown” sightings. Moreover, the upcoming release of “It,” starring Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise, is impacting the clown industry negatively in the sense that they are losing work.
“It” opens on September 8.