Are you a fan of Pennywise, the murderous dancing clown from the IT movies? Well, you’re in luck, because HBO Max is moving forward with a prequel series called Welcome to Derry which will focus on Pennywise’s early escapades terrorizing the population of Maine.
The series was developed by Andy Muschietti, who directed the pair of IT movies that came out in 2017 and 2019, and her sister Barbara. I can’t imagine anyone better to dig deeper into the story of Pennywise.
Stephen King, who wrote the original 1986 novel IT, is over the moon excited to see the story of Pennywise develop. “I’m excited that the story of Derry, Maine’s most haunted city, is continuing, and I’m glad Andy Muschietti will oversee the frightening festivities, along with a brain trust including his talented sister, Barbara. Red balloons all around!” he said, per The A.V. Club.
HBO Max will welcome you to Derry in IT prequel series
As the movies glancingly explored, the entity known as Pennywise crashed to Earth at a distant time in the past and terrorized the area that would become Derry over the centuries, coming out to feed every 27 years before going back into hibernation. King’s book details some of Pennywise’s earlier feasts, so a prequel show could have a lot to work with.
I’m hoping that Welcome to Derry feels more like the first movie than the second. Things were spookier when the characters were younger. There’s no release date for Welcome to Derry set yet, but we’ll keep an eye out!
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