With casting for It: Chapter Two hitting a fever pitch and just about all the adult versions of the Losers Club locked into place for director Andy Muschietti’s follow-up to last year’s horror blockbuster, Den of Geek had a chance to ask the man who plays the monster at the heart of the story, Bill Skarsgard — a.k.a. Pennywise the Clown, a.k.a It — where he was at in his preparations for the sequel.

“We’re gearing up for it now, so I’m sort of in the process of getting back into that character of Pennywise,” said Skarsgard on the line from Sweden, where he lives. “I’m sort of in the mindset and we’re gearing up for it. I think they start in July. I’m not sure exactly when my start date is, but some time this summer.”

Asked if he had been discussing the script and Pennywise’s evolution in the film with Muschietti, Skarsgard replied, “We’re figuring it out, you know…I have a very good relationship with Andy, not only as a director and actor, but also just as a very close friend, so we’re having fun with it and we’re figuring out what we’re going to bring to the table for part two.”

Skarsgard, who will also be seen later this summer in Hulu’s Stephen King-based Castle Rock series, added that he’s especially thrilled about the way the adult cast is coming together. “I’m really looking forward to it,” he said. “It’s going to be a very different experience this time around, just given the fact that you have all of these incredible, seasoned actors to play against, as opposed to having all the kids. So it’s going to be a different experience for sure. But I’m looking forward to it.”