Six years after IT: Chapter Two, Pennywise the Dancing Clown is coming back to screens, but this time on TV in HBO’s IT: Welcome to Derry. The two IT movies, directed by Andy Muschietti, were incredibly successful, so much so that it’s surprising it’s taken this long to follow them up in some way. Created by the same team behind the films – Andy and Barbara Muschietti along with Jason Fuchs – the series returns to Derry, Maine, where once again a young boy mysteriously disappears, and strange, terrifying things begin to happen.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Whereas IT: Chapter Two took place 27 years after Chapter One, Welcome to Derry‘s timeline goes the other way. The story largely takes place in April, 1962, which is 27 years before the events of the first IT movie. And there’s a very good reason for that specific number, because that’s how long It – usually in the form of Pennywise – waits between attacks. There are some other connections to the story, as well: one of the main characters is Leroy Hanlon (Jovan Adepo), the grandfather of Losers Club member Mike Hanlon. There’s also, in Episode 1, an Easter egg teasing Alvin Marsh, the father of Beverly.
IT: Welcome To Derry‘s Timeline Will Likely Change For Future Seasons
Welcome to Derry‘s timeline builds on the change the IT movies made to Stephen King’s novel. In the book, the story begins in the 1950s, but this was shifted to the 1980s for the big screen adaptation. This meant that the adult narrative in the sequel could be closer to the present day it was released in, while also allowing the movies to tap into the nostalgia for the 1980s that became so prevalent in the 2010s, as seen by things like the King-inspired Stranger Things.
The 1960s timeline will be a rich one not only for exploring more of Pennywise and a new generation of “Losers,” but also some of the deeper themes of King’s work. One prominent story from the page that can be fully told on screen is the burning of The Black Spot, a nightclub mostly frequented by Black customers that is burned down by white supremacists. The setting of the show can tap into the sociopolitical aspects of the story more, with the civil rights movement, the racism in Derry, and the nuclear threat and Cold War fears of the era, meaning real world horrors will be just as prominent as dancing clowns.
This also opens up the door for future seasons of the show. While not yet renewed, there are plans for IT: Welcome to Derry to run for three seasons, each one jumping back another 27 years to explore more of Pennywise’s and Derry’s history. Speaking to Deadline, Andy Muschietti said: “My intention with this was to create a story that is a little bit like an iceberg under the water all through Seasons 1, 2 and 3. There will be an expansion in the mythology and more answers to the big questions. At the end of Season 1, we are hinting at the reason why we are going to tell the story in two more seasons and backwards.”
That’ll mean Welcome to Derry Season 2, if it happens, takes place in 1935, before the story concludes with Season 3 in 1908. Combined with the two movies, that’ll give us over 100 years of Pennywise’s story on screen.
IT: Welcome to Derry Season 1, Episode 1 releases at 9pm ET on HBO and HBO Max. The first season will consist of eight episodes total.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
Most Viewed
-
Image courtesy of Netflix -
Image Courtesy of Netflix -
Image Courtesy of Devolver Digital -
Image Courtesy of Madhouse/WIT Studio
