Ready to float again?
We have our first close look at HBO’s It television prequel series Welcome to Derry. In some intriguing images, we get our first taste of the show’s style and atmosphere, which all looks very promising.
Very much evoking the same nightmarish small town feel as Andy Muschietti’s feature adaptions It Chapter 1 and 2.
The series is set to take us back to 1962, where the dreaded spectre of Pennywise the Dancing Clown will rear his head for a previously unseen rampage. Welcome to Derry is also set to take us further back, allegedly including an origin story for the iconic villain, played by Bill Skarsgard.
In one particularly intriguing image, we see a group of children seated in a movie theatre. Their faces look frozen in terror at something on the screen… What could that be?
Furthermore, we see what appears to be a police officer investigating a dank looking scene, with a sign reading “PENNYWISE” visible just over his shoulder.
In a joint statement, filmmakers Andy and Barbara Muschietti had the following to say about Welcome to Derry:
“It’s so rich with characters and events, we thought we would do justice to the book and the fans by going back into this world.”
They continue:
“Specifically, we are telling the stories of the interludes, writings by Mike Hanlon based on his investigation that includes interviews he conducts with the older people in the town. In Welcome to Derry, we touch on the usual themes that were talked about in the movie — friendship, loss, the power of unified belief — but this story focuses also on the use of fear as a weapon, which is one of the things that is also relevant to our times.”
Welcome to Derry will star James Remar, Chris Chalk, Taylour Paige, and Madeleine Stowe. Bill Skarsgard will return to the role of Pennywise, after previously denying he’d be involved with the show, and Andy Muschietti directs four of the series’ nine episodes.
Welcome to Derry is set to premiere on HBO in 2025, although an exact date hasn’t yet been announced. Following its release, the series will also stream on Max. We’ll let you know as soon as a premiere date emerges.
