IT–inspired pranks are taking the internet by storm after the record-breaking release of the latest horror sensation on Friday (September 8). Unsuspecting friends, family and members of the public are being freaked out all around the world by clown- and balloon-related antics. Here are the worst offenders.
1. Creepy cinema clown
This stunt at a Guildford cinema was first noted by Twitter user @HG_Hohbes, who went viral after sharing images of a red-balloon-wielding clown – complete with patchwork dungarees and a full face of makeup. Below is the terrifying sight that greeted him on his entrance into the cinema; the clown proceeded to wander around as the film began, later posing for photos with other Twitter users. It later transpired that the man behind the makeup was Jordan Gunner, an actor hired by the cinema owner.
Went to see IT, I'm first in the screen and this fucking guy's just sitting there. pic.twitter.com/b3oatLGdrs
— Chris (@HG_Hohbes) September 8, 2017
Now he's wandering around pic.twitter.com/X7oZ2yKwuZ
— Chris (@HG_Hohbes) September 8, 2017
2. Pennywise the roommate
YouTuber Ashley Ortega decided to have some fun with her roommate Corie after she retuned from seeing the movie. Ortega planted red balloons in the living room before donning full-clown attire and sneaking into Corie’s bedroom, jumping out to scare her. Unfortunately, things quickly went south when Corie’s instincts had her reaching for her taser gun.
3. Pennywise’s accomplice
One of the cruelest pranks comes from Brazil’s Silvio Santos show. Here a little boy asks for help after losing a paper boat down a sewer grate. When the unsuspecting strangers reach into help, Pennywise jumps out and chases them down the street.
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4. Cinema balloon
One cinemagoer stealthily brought in a red balloon and released it mid-film to freak out the rest of the audience:
Someone really brought a red balloon to the premiere of the movie IT ??? pic.twitter.com/8OBXNZDFks
— ⚰️ビクター⚰️ (@vpxvx) September 8, 2017
5. The balloon brigade
In the States, a group of teenagers wanted to prank their friends, so tied the red balloons to the drains of their town. Peyton Reiff and her four mates were quick to fess up, claiming: “we tried to trick our friends, but ended up scaring America…we were all freaking out. Honestly, we didn’t expect it to be this big.” It blew up so much that the local police department had to post a warning against the pranks on their Facebook page, admitting to being “terrified”.
Lititz Borough Police Department "completely terrified" by #ITMovie prank pic.twitter.com/Zcj7Wdm6Tx
— ?? Brent ?? (@LZJ879) September 7, 2017
We tried to trick our friends but ended up scaring America! #redballoonlititz ? pic.twitter.com/hbLSCxv6GV
— Peyton Reiff (@PeytonReiff) September 5, 2017
Seen any awesome IT pranks? Share them in the comments.
Words: Lily Jones & Louie Chandler