The Hollywood Strikes Forced Major Changes To The Story Of HBO's It: Welcome To Derry

2023 saw SAG-AFTRA and WGA members strike in what were surely two of the most significant walk-outs in recent memory. Not only were actors and writers trying to secure fair wages and contracts, they were seeking protections against artificial intelligence, which, sadly, still threatens to upend the industry and bring about an AI garbage future that people like Joe Russo can't wait to see. Of course, securing such vital protections came at a price, part of which being that numerous productions were delayed, including the "It" prequel series, "It: Welcome to Derry," which was forced to make some major changes in the wake of the strikes.

The show started filming back in May 2023 before having to shut down in July of that year due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. In an interview for SFX Magazine's November 2025 issue, executive producers Andy and Barbara Muschietti spoke about the HBO series, which also features direction from Andy on four episodes. During their discussion, they explained how production on "Welcome to Derry" was delayed and how that had a major impact on the story being told. 

Frustratingly for those involved with the production, Barbara estimated that the "90% of three episodes" had been shot before work on the show shut down for eight months. That forced the Muschiettis and their crew to re-envision a crucial aspect of the series. "We suddenly had to work in different seasons," said Barbara. "This is a summer show, but suddenly it wasn't a summer show any more. We had to create a different finale with a different climate." 

But that wasn't the only aspect the producers had to reconsider. "The kids were growing," continued Barbara. "Voices were changing. Schedules of actors suddenly became hellish. So it was a huge challenge for the studio as well."

"It: Welcome to Derry" isn't just a prequel series, it's crucial viewing for fans of Stephen King's novels, all of which are interconnected by something he refers to as the macroverse. The new HBO series will delve into some of those finer details using aspects of the original 1986 novel, which featured interludes that covered historical moments from Derry history. Mike Hanlon also learned about his father's past, which led to the revelation that Dick Hallorann of "The Shining" used to co-own a bar in the cursed town. As such, the new series, set in 1962, fleshes out much of the backstory surrounding Derry and its ongoing Pennywise problem (don't worry, "Welcome to Derry" is also surprisingly scary and gruesome). 

Though the story focuses on Jovan Adepo's Leroy Hanlon, his wife Charlotte (Taylour Paige), and son Will (Blake Cameron James), there are a whole host of characters in the show, including the aforementioned Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk) and a proto-Losers Club made up of local kids. Unfortunately, including the youngsters made the production delays much harder to navigate.

During her SFX interview, Barbara Muschietti made sure to say that she stood behind the unions who took action back in 2023. "Listen, I support the writers and the actors," she said. "But for the people that were in the process of shooting, it was complicated." That sounds like an understatement given the considerations involved. As Muschietti told Entertainment Weekly in a separate interview, when production resumed, "The [younger actors'] clothes didn't fit, they had grown inches ... We were basically pouncing, waiting for the strike to be over to go straight to camera."

"It: Welcome to Derry" is streaming on HBO Max.