In another strike casualty for Warner Bros. and Max this past week, word reaches us that Welcome to Derry, the highly anticipated prequel series to It, has been delayed until 2025.
Welcome to Derry was forced to halt production when the SAG-AFTRA strike commenced in July of 2023. Currently it is not known how far into the production the company was before they were forced into hiatus.
Welcome to Derry will act as a prequel to the 2017 smash-hit Stephen King adaption It and its 2019 sequel It: Chapter Two.
So far, little is known about the plot details of the series other than it purportedly being set in the 1960s and acting as an origin story of sorts for the Pennywise character.
This description has left fans slightly confused, as Pennywise has been established as an ancient evil that has been around for centuries. Unless there are flashbacks within the prequel series, going back twenty years doesn’t appear to offer much of an origin story.
What remains unclear is the involvement of Pennywise actor Bill Skarsgard who was initially said to not be returning. Then reports emerged in the spring that Skarsgard would reprise his role, but in a “secret” capacity… Now, the studio seems to be leading with the fact that the actor is not involved once again… It’s all very confusing.
What is known as fact is that Welcome to Derry will star Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk and Taylour Paige among others, and will be produced by It filmmaker Andy Muschietti.
Production is set to resume once the strike action resolves, but, with negotiations ongoing, that could still be some time away. For now, it appears Warner Bros. Television and Max are casting a very wide safety net with their new 2025 premiere window.
