After a long period of speculation, it seems as if HBO Max is going to move forward with the prequel series documenting the events before the It movies.
Reports in Variety suggest that they’ve finally taken up the option for Welcome to Derry, telling the story of what happened before the two recent movies based on the Stephen King book.
The series is set to expand on the world created by filmmaker Andy Muschietti, working alongside his sister Barbara Muschietti and Wonder Woman writer Jason Fuchs.
Brad Caleb Kane will also come on board as a co-showrunner alongside Fuchs.
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It’s been a long time coming, with the first reports that the show was in development arriving in March 2022, and the showrunners becoming official in November.
Speaking about the project, the Muschiettis said: “As teenagers, we took turns reading chapters of Stephen King’s It until the thick paperback fell to pieces,
“It’ is an epic story that contains multitudes, far beyond what we could explore in our It movies. We can’t wait to share the depths of Steve’s novel, in all its heart, humor, humanity and horror.”
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So, we can’t really say what will happen in the show, but there is a handy synopsis for us to share with you.
That might give you a vague idea of what to expect.
It reads: “Set in the world of Stephen King’s It universe, Welcome to Derry is based on King’s It novel and expands the vision established by filmmaker Andy Muschietti in the feature films It and It Chapter Two.”
OK, so it’s not that helpful really, is it?
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Perhaps a short word from Fuchs might help us put together a better idea of what we can expect to see?
He said: “To be able to return to the world of my all-time favorite horror novel and help build upon the singularly brilliant cinematic universe created by Andy and Barbara is more than the opportunity of a lifetime, it’s a dream come true — or, maybe more appropriately, a nightmare.”
Well, that doesn’t offer too much either, but Fuchs will be writing it, so he’ll know before anyone else.
The author of the novels, Stephen King, is naturally quite excited to see more of his work turned into a big production, too.
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In a statement, he said: “I’m excited that the story of Derry, Maine’s most haunted city, is continuing, and I’m glad Andy Muschietti is going to be overseeing the frightening festivities, along with a brain trust including his talented sister, Barbara,
“Red balloons all around!”
The two latest It films were hugely successful, as was the two part miniseries starring Tim Curry as Pennywise back in 1990.
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So, there’s a decent chance this series will go down well.
On HBO Max’s part, their head of original content Sarah Aubrey said: “We are thrilled to continue this iconic franchise with the brilliant Andy and Barbara Muschietti, Jason Fuchs, and Brad Caleb Kane,
“This prequel will expand the It storytelling canvas and bring fans deeper into the terrifying, mesmerizing town of Derry.”
Topics: Film and TV, Stephen King, Horror, HBO
Tom Wood