Is That Fog in IT: Welcome to Derry Actually From Stephen King’s The Mist?! We Know the Answer

IT: Welcome to Derry has done far more than merely set the stage for the cinematic battles directed by Andy Muschietti, or explore the ancient origins of the entity known as Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård). It has effectively functioned as a narrative glue for the wider Stephen King multiverse, weaving in nods to properties that extend well beyond the borders of Maine. The series features a prominent role for Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk), the psychic chef who plays a pivotal part in The Shining, and includes explicit references to the corruption at Shawshank Prison from The Shawshank Redemption. However, the most debated piece of connective tissue has been the mysterious white fog that has covered the town in the promotional trailers. For weeks, fans have speculated that this weather phenomenon was a direct link to King’s novella The Mist, and now that the season is done, we have our definitive answer.

Warning: Spoilers below for IT: Welcome to Derry, Episode 8

At the end of the seventh episode of IT: Welcome to Derry, General Shaw (James Remar) destroys one of the sacred totems used by the indigenous tribes to keep the entity imprisoned within Derry’s borders. In the final episode, sensing that the cage has been broken, Pennywise unleashes the full breadth of its power in a desperate bid to escape the town. It mass kidnaps almost every child in Derry and covers the region in an unnatural fog. This visual deeply resembled the interdimensional weather phenomenon seen in The Mist, leading audiences to theorize that the destruction of the totem had caused a “thinny” or a rift in reality, allowing the atmosphere of Todash space to bleed into our world. Given that Pennywise is a cosmic being from the Macroverse, a connection to the creatures of the mist did not seem like a narrative stretch. However, the creative team has finally stepped forward to clarify the true nature of the fog.

The Fog in IT: Welcome to Derry Is Unrelated to The Mist

Despite the visual similarities and the fan enthusiasm for a massive crossover event, director Andy Muschietti has definitively shut down the theory connecting the series to The Mist. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Muschietti was direct in his clarification, stating, “There is no connection to The Mist. I’m sorry to disappoint everyone with this.” While this denial may sting for audiences hoping to see a big crossover in future seasons of IT: Welcome to Derry, the director’s explanation reveals a much deeper connection to the specific lore of IT itself.

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Muschietti elaborates that the visual language of the fog is derived from the entity’s arrival on Earth, a sequence depicted earlier in the season. “It has its own logic,” Muschietti explains. “You see it in episode 4 at the end when Taniel [Joshua Odjick] is telling the story, and we see how the asteroid hits the Earth. After the explosion, we see the Deadlights are basically surrounded by this smoky fog that trails back. We decided to make that the language of IT’s expansion.” Muschietti notes that the indigenous people of the region were the only thing standing between the entity and the rest of the planet. “If it wasn’t for the indigenous community in the 1600s, IT would have expanded across the world, but IT’s caged,” he continues. “Now that the pillars are lifted and the cage is open, I wanted to convey visually that force of super nature is expanding out.”

IT: Welcome to Derry is currently available to stream on HBO Max.

Do you think the show should have connected the fog to The Mist, or is the lore of IT scary enough on its own?  Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!