‘Welcome to Derry’: Everything to Know About the ‘It’ Prequel Series
Soon it’ll be time to head back to the sewers. Welcome to Derry, a television series companion to the events of Stephen King’s It, is being developed for Max, and some key information about the Pennywise prequel show is starting to seep through.
Here’s everything to know about Welcome to Derry.
Who will star in Welcome to Derry?
It looks like Bill Skarsgård will be given free rein to terrorize all the children of town yet again in this series, per Deadline. The actor previously portrayed Pennywise the Dancing Clown, the ubiquitous villain who emerges every 27 years to feed on scared kids, in Andy Muschietti’s adaptation films It and It: Chapter Two.
The actor previously said in a YouTube interview he had an interest in potentially joining the series depending on the material.
Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, and Madeleine Stowe have also been cast in the series.
Welcome to Derry.
Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, James Remar, and Chris Chalk have been cast to star in the Max Original Series and prequel to the IT films, coming in 2024 to Max. #WelcomeToDerry #ITSeries #ITMovie 🎈 #StreamOnMax pic.twitter.com/wnX3YTIB21
— Max (@StreamOnMax) April 12, 2023
Who will helm Welcome to Derry?
Andy Muschietti is returning to the franchise alongside producing partner Barbara Muschitti and co-producer Jason Fuchs. Muschietti is expected to take the helm for four of the nine planned episodes of the series, including the first episode.
What is Welcome to Derry about?
Welcome to Derry takes place before the events of Stephen King’s It, as presented in the 2017 and 2019 films. The setting will reportedly be the 1960s and will include the origin story of Pennywise.
Pennywise is, of course, the supernatural villain of It who has the ability to shapeshift to meet his victims’ deepest fears. He is also of extraterrestrial origin and has a connection to other elements of King’s literary universe, including the Dark Tower.
A brief preview of the series was revealed in December 2023.
First teaser for the ‘IT’ prequel series ‘WELCOME TO DERRY’.
Releasing in 2025 on Max. pic.twitter.com/5JEP3VjPXQ
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) December 6, 2023
When will Welcome to Derry premiere?
The series is expected to arrive on Max in 2025.
What else should I know about Welcome to Derry?
Production on the series first began in Toronto in May 2023, but shooting was suspended as a result of the SAG-AFTRA strikes that summer and fall. This resulted in a delayed premiere date. Also, for now, Welcome to Derry is merely a working title.
Let’s go back to where IT all began 🎈…Welcome to Derry (Working Title), a new prequel series to the hit films set in the world of Stephen King's IT universe, has been ordered at HBO Max. pic.twitter.com/GKvq9LN7kb
— IT Chapter Two 🎈🎈 (@ITMovieOfficial) February 24, 2023
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