“Storm blew me away… blew the whole circus away.”

We told you last week that an exclusive 4-minute clip from Andy Muschietti’s IT was going to play before Annabelle: Creation in theaters across the country this weekend. Preview screenings began last night, and I can indeed confirm that report, as the clip was played at my local theater.

Before the trailers began, Stephen King himself popped up on the screen to talk a little bit about IT and introduce the clip, which we understand will NOT be making its way online.

“Enjoy this exclusive look,” he said. “If you can….”

The clip itself, which is about 3 1/2 minutes long, is the scene wherein Georgie is floating his paper boat down the street, ultimately coming face-to-face with Pennywise in a storm drain. We’ve seen snippets of the iconic scene in the various TV spots and trailers these last several months, but this is the very first time the entire scene – or any scene from the film, for that matter – has been shown outside of Comic-Con or anywhere else.

What’s most exciting about the scene is that it really gives us a taste for Bill Skarsgard‘s performance as the new Pennywise. Sure, we’ve seen various clips of him talking and just genuinely being terrifying, but the Annabelle: Creation exclusive scene showcases a full two-minutes of conversation between Georgie and Pennywise.

And holy shit, you guys. It’s now crystal clear, after watching the scene, that Bill Skarsgard was the absolute perfect actor to fill Tim Curry’s clown shoes. His performance, if the clip is any indication, is absolutely incredible, as his Pennywise manages to be totally believable as a friendly clown that could lure in a child as well as deeply terrifying. The voice. The laugh. It’s all perfection.

Skarsgard commands the screen as Pennywise, turning in a performance that’s likely going to remind many of the next level believability of Heath Ledger as the Joker in The Dark Knight. Again, if the clip is any indication, Skarsgard absolutely lost himself in the role, becoming a new version of Pennywise that’s likely going to go down as the best version of the character to date.

I didn’t think I could be more excited about this one. After last night, I very much am.

The film will be in theaters September 8, 2017.