Welcome to Derry: 3 things to know as IT prequel filming begins

In March 2022, HBO and Warner Bros. announced that the IT franchise would be getting a prequel series, titled Welcome to Derry. Andy Muschietti, the director of both the IT films, recently shared an Instagram post signalling that the filming of the series has officially begun.

Andy Muschietti, who will serve as executive producer on the show, is also reported to direct multiple episodes, including the pilot. Muschietti will be joined by his sister Barbara Muschietti, as well as Jason Fuchs and Brad Caleb Kane, who will serve as co-showrunners and executive producers.

Sharing his thoughts on the project, Fuchs said:

"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"

Not much information on the show has been revealed by official sources. However, IT fans are hoping for the show to do justice to their beloved franchise and act as a prequel to the events that occurred in IT and IT Chapter Two.

---

Three things to know about IT's prequel series, Welcome to Derry

1) The show is expected to focus on Pennywise's origins

While no official statement regarding the plot of the series, Welcome to Derry, has been released, the show is expected to revolve around Pennywise the Clown and his origin story. The story will be set in the 1960s and is likely to focus on the events that occured before IT (2017).

The show is also expected to explore the history of Derry and how Pennywise came to torment the town and its inhabitants. While IT Chapter Two (2019) gives audience a brief glimpse into the evil clown's history, the prequel series is rumored to go into detail about the villain's past. Stephen King, the author of the original novel behind the films, talked about the series in a press release, stating:

"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!"

---

2) Welcome to Derry will feature a new set of cast members

The prequel series will feature a brand new list of cast members, including Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, and James Remar. Madeleine Stowe and Stephen Rider were also recently announced as joining the show in recurring guest and series regular roles, respectively.

No official announcement has been made so far regarding the roles and characters the actors would be taking up in the show. However, the show is rumored to have a new Pennywise after Bill Skarsgård revealed in a recent interview that he would not be reprising his iconic role as Pennywise for the series.

In an interview with Jake’s Takes, Skarsgård said:

"As of now, I’m not currently involved in it… If someone else gets to do it, my advice would be: Do it your own. Make it your own. Have fun with it… What I thought was so pleasurable about that character was how incredibly abstract he was."

---

3) Welcome to Derry will release on HBO Max

Welcome to Derry is slated for a 2024 release on the streaming platform HBO Max. So far, there has been no announcements regarding the show's release date but HBO Max has confirmed that Welcome to Derry can be expected to officially release in 2024.

The series will comprise ten episodes and is expected to wrap up production by the end of the year.

---

While fans will have to wait a while before Welcome to Derry releases, the two films in the franchise, IT and IT Chapter Two, are available to stream on HBO.