As the last 'killer clown' phase last year showed, people have the ability to be both very, very creepy and very, very dumb.
Well, it looks like more creepy clowns could be on the way thanks to new movie IT, which centres on the mother of all scary clowns, Pennywise.
In case you forgot, around a year ago the US saw a spate of people pop-up dressed as scary clowns with the intention of scaring the public, causing a headache for police.
The ridiculously stupid fad also spread to the UK, with multiple sightings and arrests in October of last year.
However, one police department across the Atlantic has warned that the fad could be revived again following the release of the new Stephen King adaptation.
"It is anticipated that '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 theatres," the Pennsylvania State Police department said in a statement.
Let's hope that it doesn't spread to the UK again if it does take off – otherwise we will just unleash Batman on them.
Meanwhile, genuine excitement over creepy clowns is gearing up as the release of IT (aka IT: Part 1 – The Losers' Club) draws nearer, especially given that the early buzz is very positive.
Director Andy Muschietti has opened up about the movie's sequel, explaining: "I also wanted to leave something for the second half, so I didn't want to get in trouble with that – going into the macroverse or that transdimensional stuff – and keep it grounded, from the point of view of the kids.
"There's another movie to expand into that. Also, there's a physical truth that it's a movie that has a budget. And I didn't want to get into a depiction of a realm that f**ks up our budget, the creation of a world that will basically suck up half of our budget, and would have to sacrifice a lot of things.
"So basically it's a balancing act, but it's also intricately connected with the content, which is staying true to the emotional aspect of the book."
IT (also known as It: Part 1 – The Losers' Club in some regions) will open in the US and the UK on Friday, 8 September.
