IT: Welcome to Derry Trailer Brings Stephen King Horror to HBO

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Greetings! I’m thrilled to welcome you back as we delve once more into the chilling world of Derry. This week, a tantalizing sneak peek for HBO’s ‘IT: Welcome to Derry‘ surfaced online, promising a spine-tingling journey through the prequel series, set decades prior to the events of 2017’s ‘It’ and its sequel ‘It Chapter Two’. The story unfolds in 1962, a full 27 years before the Losers Club first crossed paths with the terrifying entity known as Pennywise the Clown (portrayed by Bill Skarsgård). This intriguing new series, titled ‘Welcome to Derry’, expands the universe crafted in Andy Muschietti’s film adaptations of Stephen King’s acclaimed novel.

As a film enthusiast, stepping back into the chilling world of Derry, Maine felt like slipping on an old, familiar coat. In the gripping HBO mini-series IT: Welcome to Derry, we delve into the haunting history of this small town, marred by inexplicable deaths and vanishings that have left a dark stain on its reputation. The burning of The Black Spot, a nightclub that met its end at the hands of a hate-fueled cult in 1962 (or 1930, as depicted in the novel), serves as the central event anchoring this nine-episode narrative journey.

The filmmakers Andy and Barbara Muschietti, who created a prequel series for television, mentioned that Pennywise undergoes a dormant period of 27 years. They explained to Entertainment Weekly that this new series will delve into a different era of American history, with children facing fresh fears, while adults grapple with the economic impact of the Cold War. The narrative is primarily set in 1962, but it occasionally jumps back in time. Every 27 years when Pennywise reappears, it leaves behind two significant events – one at the start and another at the end. They are using “The Black Spot” as a pivotal event, around which many stories will unfold.

In both the book and the movies directed by Muschietti, the fire at Black Spot is mentioned, which was the most recent of many calamities that befell Derry. According to the novel, there were 340 settlers who vanished mysteriously when the Derry Township vanished in 1741. This was followed by the John Markson family murders in 1851, the Kenduskeag Stream lumberjack incident of 1879, the Kitchener Ironworks explosion that claimed over 100 lives on Easter Sunday in 1906, and the Bradley Gang Massacre in 1929. In the book, the Losers Club confronted ‘It’ in 1957 and again in 1985, but the films were set in 1989 (in the original film) and 2016 (in the sequel), which is 27 years later.

The movie “IT” takes inspiration from the five interludes found within King’s novel, which are titled “Derry: The First Interlude“, “Derry: The Second Interlude“, “Derry: The Third Interlude“, “Derry: The Fourth Interlude“, and “Derry: The Last Interlude“. These interludes are presented as extracts from an unpublished book called “Derry: An Unauthorized Town History” by Michael Hanlon, a character played by Chosen Jacobs as a child and Isaiah Mustafa as an adult in the films. He refers to his work as “Derry: A Glimpse Beyond Hell’s Doorstep“.

The show features Taylour Paige, known for her role in ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’, Jovan Adepo from ‘3 Body Problem’, Chris Chalk of ‘Perry Mason’, James Remar from ‘Black Lightning’, Stephen Rider from ‘Daredevil’, Madeleine Stowe recognized for ‘Revenge’, Rudy Mancuso of ‘The Flash’, and Alexander Skarsgård, reprising his role as Pennywise from the films. The Muschiettis and Skarsgård serve as executive producers alongside Jason Fuchs, Brad Caleb Kane, David Coatsworth, Shelley Meals, Roy Lee, and Dan Lin.

IT: Welcome to Derry premieres later this year on HBO and HBO Max.

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2025-05-20 17:10