Welcome to Derry: More Floating, Fewer Grins (and Even Fewer Survivors)

One might be interested to know that “Welcome to Derry” is indeed a prequel to the “It” film franchise. Apparently, we’ll get to see Pennywise before its well-documented run-in with the Losers’ Club. Bill Skarsgård is back as the dancing clown, presumably because he enjoys the work, or perhaps finds the local demographics particularly palatable.

Cosmic Origins and Mundane Dates – Also, Historical Incineration

The series is set in 1962, a full 27 years before the events of IT: Chapter One (1989). This means we’ll observe a different cycle of terror, allowing viewers to appreciate the entity’s earlier, perhaps less refined, methods of influence on the town. It’s said to expand on the “interludes” from Stephen King‘s original novel, which detailed past civic unpleasantries in Derry. The trailer features a particularly optimistic young boy trying to hitchhike out of town, declaring, “Anywhere but Derry.” One can only imagine his subsequent travel plans, or lack thereof.

For those unfamiliar, Pennywise isn’t just a clown. It’s actually an ancient, malevolent being from the Macroverse, which sounds like an exceptionally large universe. Its true form, visible primarily to those experiencing extreme distress, is a swirling mass of orange lights. Apparently, it arrived on Earth millions of years ago after an unfortunate encounter with Maturin, a benevolent, universe-creating turtle god. After this perceived setback, It decided to regroup under what would eventually become Derry, patiently waiting for humans to evolve so it could, rather unsportingly, feed on their fears. “Welcome to Derry” will delve into these earlier, less successful attempts at maintaining a low profile, primarily by consuming children.

IT: Welcome to Derry | Official Teaser

Production Notes and Unlucky Protagonists (Emphasis on “Unlucky”)

A production commitment was secured in November 2022, which is when these things generally get started. Jason Fuchs and Brad Caleb Kane are co-showrunners, tasked with guiding the narrative. Fuchs is also writing, and Andy Muschietti, who handled the previous “It” films, is directing several episodes, including the pilot. One imagines he knows his way around Derry by now, which is to say, he knows where the bodies are buried, metaphorically and probably literally.

Curiously, this series features a different group of children as its leads. The trailer suggests these young characters, described as somewhat “ahead of their time,” will attempt to confront Pennywise. Scenes of children outdoors and discussions about missing persons vaguely resemble the premise of misfit youth tackling ancient evil. However, unlike the Losers’ Club, these children may not fare as well. Casting director Rich Delia made a point of mentioning the search for “memorable kids” for the audience to “love, and some to die.” It seems this group’s luck may be decidedly less charming, leaning more towards “tragic footnotes in a clown’s diet.”

The trailer also hints at exploring Derry’s consistently unpleasant history, specifically the infamous burning of the Black Spot. This was a nightclub for Black patrons that was unfortunately destroyed in one of Pennywise’s more spectacular catastrophic cycles, as chronicled in Mike Hanlon’s meticulously depressing interludes from King’s novel. Adding to the familial gloom, Jovan Adepo and Taylour Paige are rumored to play Will and Jessica Hanlon, presumably Mike’s parents, thereby connecting them directly to this rather fiery event. It seems the Hanlon family has a long-standing, if unenviable, relationship with Derry’s more destructive tendencies, proving that some family legacies are just a bit more flammable than others.

“Welcome to Derry” is scheduled to arrive on Max (formerly HBO Max) in Fall 2025. A precise release date remains, as often happens, unannounced. But do mark your calendars; it promises to be a real killer.