Summary
When it comes to frightening audiences, Stephen King is the master ofhorrorwith his many disturbing monster creations over the past 50 years, and now it seems as though the HBO prequel,It: Welcome to Derry, will follow the same trend as the show’s co-creator reveals that even they were surprised some scenes were allowed to be included in the TV series.
The notorious and frankly terrifying clown Pennywisehas long been one of horror’s most fearful shape-shifting entities, with the two-part adaptation of King’s seminal novel in 2017 and 2019 only cemented that fact even further.IT: Chapter OneandIT: Chapter Twowere widely successful, with the firstITmovie becoming the highest-grossing horror film of all time as it brought in over $700 million at the global box office, even surpassingThe Exorcist. In 2022, it was announced that Andy Muschietti, who directed both of theITfilms, wasdeveloping a prequel seriesthat would delve into the period of 1962, aka the cycle before the one shown in the firstITfilm, along with his co-showrunners Barbara Muschietti and Jason Fuchs. Starring Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, Taylour Paige, and James Remar, andBill Skarsgard reprising his role as Pennywiseand as an executive producer, Muschietti reveals thatIt: Welcome to Derrywill keep fans who loved the previous films' scary tone more than happy.
It: Welcome to Derry Co-Creator Thought Some Scenes Wouldn’t Make It Into the Series
According toScreenRant, who was in attendance duringIt: Welcome to Derry’s panel at San Diego Comic-Con, the show’s co-creator, Barbara Muschietti, reassured fans that the HBO show would have “the same level of intensity and scariness” as the movies, while also revealing that she didn’t think that some scenes would make it into the final cut of season one ofIt: Welcome to Derry, presumably because they are super frightening and maybe quite graphic, but that’s exacty what fans of King’s and Andy Muschietti’s previous works would want from a series like this so this exciting insight is very good news. Here’s what Muschietti had to say:
“We still have the same level of intensity and scariness, and we have to give credit to the studio that supported us because, honestly, I did not believe we were going to be able to shoot stuff like that. And, it’s there on the screen, you know? And there’s a lot more of that.”
In aseparate article, Andy and Barbara Muschietti also promised to finally revealthe origins of Pennywise inIt: Welcome to Derry, stating that they consulted with King on how best to deliver Pennywise’s story and lore, as well as honoring aspects of the book. “How did It become Pennywise. It’s one of the mysteries in the book,” said Muschietti. “They mention this character called Bob Gray. So the conversations were about that and how do we tell the story…[We’re] always respectful– there’s a line. Some mysteries remain. Some mysteries are created.”
Pennywise’s backstory in King’s novel is as disturbing as it is fascinating, so knowing that the creators are willing to unveil that for the prequel series builds a really good foundation for its longevity,especially since the series wants to run for at least 3 seasons. With only a few more months to go,It: Welcome to Derryis set to be released in October 2025.
