As a horror fan, I was already excited for IT: Welcome to Derry, and the premiere definitely delivered. This isn’t just a prequel about how Pennywise became Pennywise; the creators have made it clear they’re building a much larger Stephen King universe for the screen. We already saw connections with The Shining through the character of Dick Hallorann, and glimpses of Shawshank in the trailers. But after watching the first episode, I think they’re going even bigger. There’s a subtle detail in a military storyline that hints at something truly terrifying – a possible link to the cosmic horror of one of Stephen King’s most famous novellas. It seems Welcome to Derry isn’t just expanding the IT world, it’s potentially connecting it to another one of his most iconic nightmares. Be warned, though – if you haven’t seen the first episode, there are spoilers ahead!
The first episode of IT: Welcome to Derry presents two distinct storylines that haven’t connected yet. One follows the disappearance of 12-year-old Matty (Miles Ekhardt), who is victimized by Pennywise during a snowstorm. This event prompts other children to team up and uncover the terrifying reality of Derry, ultimately becoming the 1962 iteration of the Losers’ Club. Simultaneously, the episode centers on Captain Pauly Russo (Rudy Mancuso) and Major Leroy Hanlon (Jovan Adepo), two highly-regarded Air Force veterans transferred to Derry after their service in the Korean War.
During his initial tour of the airbase, Major Hanlon notices a massive hangar, clearly marked as a restricted area with fences, armed guards, and even guard dogs. He learns this hangar houses the Special Projects department. Considering the timeframe and location of Stephen King’s IT: Welcome to Derry, some fans speculate a connection to The Mist, another well-known story by the author, suggesting they might be part of the same universe.
What Is Project Arrowhead in Stephen King’s The Mist?
Stephen King’s novella, The Mist, first appeared in the 1980 horror collection Dark Forces. The story takes place in Bridgton, Maine, where a strange fog rolls in, trapping people inside a supermarket with terrifying creatures. While the story mainly explores how the survivors react to the crisis, it strongly suggests the disaster was caused by a secret military experiment called “Project Arrowhead.” In the original novella, Project Arrowhead is just a rumor, but the 2007 film adaptation, directed by Frank Darabont, reveals it directly. The project aimed to create a gateway to other dimensions, letting scientists observe parallel universes. Unfortunately, the experiment failed spectacularly, creating a tear in reality and unleashing monstrous creatures into our world.
The world of The Mist is linked to a key idea in Stephen King’s fictional universe: the Todash space. This is a shapeless, empty place between worlds, filled with terrifying creatures and horrors beyond our understanding. Many devoted King fans think the monsters appearing in the mist actually come from this other dimension, and were unintentionally released by overconfident scientists.
Is IT: Welcome to Derry Connected to Stephen King’s The Mist?
The new series, IT: Welcome to Derry, will delve into the history of Pennywise, and that means addressing the creature’s otherworldly origins. In Stephen King’s novel It, Pennywise is shown to be a being from another dimension – a vast, all-encompassing space called Todash. Its real form, the Deadlights, exists within this void, and it arrived on Earth millions of years ago, settling beneath what would eventually become the town of Derry. This backstory creates a strong connection between Pennywise and the monsters featured in The Mist.
The 1962 setting of Welcome to Derry is deeply rooted in the anxieties of the Cold War, a time of intense military and technological rivalry. It’s very possible the ‘Special Projects’ division at the Derry airbase was secretly working on something like Project Arrowhead – trying to gain an edge in the Cold War by exploring and potentially weaponizing other dimensions. The military didn’t just happen to be in Derry; the town is uniquely suited for such research. Because of Pennywise, the barrier between worlds is already weak there. The creature’s powerful psychic energy could have acted like a signal, attracting scientists studying interdimensional phenomena and making Derry the perfect – and dangerous – place to experiment.
Moving a part of the ‘Project Arrowhead’ story to Derry would allow the ‘Welcome to Derry’ series to link its military storyline directly to the larger, supernatural world of Pennywise. The scientists’ dangerous pursuit of knowledge could reveal more about the mysterious Todash space and the real source of the town’s evil. This would create a strong connection between two of Stephen King’s most famous works.
New episodes of IT: Welcome to Derry premiere on HBO every Sunday.
Is the mysterious hangar in Derry a setup for Project Arrowhead, or is the show suggesting another hidden story from Stephen King’s world? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion in the ComicBook Forum!
Read More
- Gold Rate Forecast
- 10 Most Badass Moments From Arrow
- Wednesday Season 2 Completely Changes a Key Addams Family Character
- Jimmy Kimmel Slams ‘Angry Finger Pointing’ Following Charlie Kirk Shooting After Building a Career off Angry Finger Pointing
- Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition coming to PS5 on November 4
- Dynasty Warriors remastered title and Dynasty Warriors: Origins major DLC announced
- Jon Cryer Says He Was Paid “a Third” of Charlie Sheen’s Salary
- Black Phone 2 Review: The Sequel to Blumhouse’s $160M Hit Is a Disappointing Elm Street Copycat
- New Mortal Kombat 2 Poster Is Not What Fans Expected (But It Rules)
- Dan Rivera, Paranormal Investigator, Dies Suddenly at 54
2025-10-27 18:14