It Prequel Series Welcome To Derry Officially Ordered By HBO Max
We're returning to the town of Derry for more creepy clown shenanigans. HBO Max has officially ordered "Welcome to Derry" the series, with the show set in the same universe as Andy Muschietti's "It" movies, serving as a direct spin-off. It was previously revealed that the show was in development but now, the brass at Warner Bros. Discovery have officially pulled the trigger and given the series the green light.
The series hails from Warner Bros. Television, with Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti developing the series alongside Jason Fuchs ( "Wonder Woman," "Argylle"). What's more, Muschietti will direct multiple episodes of the series, including the first one. Given how well he handled Stephen King's material in adapting it for the big screen, his being on board is absolutely a good sign. Few plot details have been revealed as of yet, but a press release confirms that it will indeed be a prequel to the films. A brief logline reads:
Set in the world of Stephen King's "It" universe, Welcome to Derry is based on King's "It" novel and expands the vision established by filmmaker Andy Muschietti in the feature films "It" and "It Chapter Two."
Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti had this to say about it:
"As teenagers, we took turns reading chapters of Stephen King's 'It' until the thick paperback fell to pieces. 'It' is an epic story that contains multitudes, far beyond what we could explore in our 'It' movies. We can't wait to share the depths of Steve's novel, in all its heart, humor, humanity and horror."
The Stephen King universe expands
From a business perspective, a show like "Welcome to Derry" makes every bit of sense in the world. One, because the "It" movies made more than $1.1 billion at the box office, with the first entry ranking as the highest-grossing horror movie in history. Not to mention that King's novel is absolutely massive, with the town of Derry having a long, terrible history with Pennywise. There is, undoubtedly, a story to tell here. Jason Fuchs had this to add:
"To be able to return to the world of my all-time favorite horror novel and help build upon the singularly brilliant cinematic universe created by Andy and Barbara is more than the opportunity of a lifetime, it's a dream come true — or, maybe more appropriately, a nightmare."
Fuchs is set to write the first episode of the show, working from a story he cooked up with the Muschiettis. Fuchs will also serve as showrunner alongside Brad Caleb Kane, with the duo also on board as executive producers alongside Andy and Barbara Muschietti. No word yet on casting, but one has to imagine that Pennywise will be a big part of the show. That means HBO Max undoubtedly would like to see Bill Skarsgard return to the role. Whether or not that will actually happen remains to be seen. King had this to say about it.
"I'm excited that the story of Derry, Maine's most haunted city, is continuing, and I'm glad Andy Muschietti is going to be overseeing the frightening festivities, along with a brain trust including his talented sister, Barbara. Red balloons all around!"
"Welcome to Derry" does not yet have a release date.