Welcome to Derry kicks off production and celebrates it with the first image from the set of the It prequel, shared by director Andy Muschietti weeks after the official green light from Warner Bros. Discovery.
While a large number of series and movies halt their productions in the midst of the Hollywood writers’ strike, HBO is moving forward with some of those that already have their scripts ready, like the second season of House of the Dragon and the long-awaited Welcome to Derry.
Released in 1986, It has become one of the most popular and recognized books in the Stephen King bibliography. In 1990 it first came to the screen in the form of a two-part television movie, directed by Tommy Lee Wallace and with Tim Curry in the role of the terrifying main villain. And although for many it was a perfect adaptation, beyond some small details, it got adapted once again in 2017.
The Argentine Andy Muschietti, who had just directed the disturbing Mama, was the chosen one to once again adapt King’s work. And, to the surprise of many skeptics, it managed to live up to it. Such was the success of its two installments that Warner Bros. Discovery announced some time later that the universe would expand with a prequel series, titled Welcome to Derry.
Today, through his Instagram account, the director of The Flash shared the first official image of the show announcing the start of production. The photo shows the door of the office of the Derry police chief, who in the prequel is named Clint Bowers.
The Bowers last name is no stranger to It fans, as it is carried by two well-known characters in the original story. Henry, the leader of the group of bullies that harasses the protagonists and his father, Butch. In the book, Butch is a farmer, but in the Muschietti movies he’s a cop, so it’s probably a relative of his who’s in charge of the Derry Police Department in the series.
What to Expect From Welcome to Derry
The story of It takes place precisely in the fictional town of Derry, Maine. There, every 27 years, a destructive and murderous force known as It resurfaces to feed on the fear of children, usually taking the form of the disturbing clown Pennywise.
Although it has not been confirmed in which specific year Welcome to Derry will be set, but as it is a prequel it will be before the events of the book and the films. It’s possible that it takes place in one of the previous 27-year cycles, maybe even the first time Pennywise attacks Derry.
Welcome to Derry is part of the long list of productions that seek to expand the great Warner Bros. Discovery franchises with different spinoffs, such as the new Game of Thrones series or The Big Bang Theory, which will have a new derivative show in addition to Young Sheldon.
