Forward of the discharge of the extremely anticipated Stephen King collection, IT: Welcome To Derry, the filmmakers and the solid attended New York Comedian Con this 12 months to present an early perception.
The collection has been developed for tv by IT and IT: Chapter Two’s filmmakers Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti, alongside Jason Fuchs (IT Chapter Two, Surprise Girl). Andy Muschietti directs a number of episodes of the unique collection and advised the viewers in New York that the thought of the collection began when he was engaged on the IT movies.
“It began across the time that we have been ending IT Chapter Two,” Andy Muschietti revealed. “I began having these bizarre conversations with Invoice Skarsgård as a result of we have been excessive on the expertise of doing IT: Chapter Two. We began speculating and fantasising a couple of new story, a brand new film, which was principally the origin story of Pennywise. How did ‘IT’ turn into the clown? What function did the notorious and cryptic Bob Grey play?”
Andy Muschietti couldn’t let go of these preliminary conversations and determined to return to the thought by going again to the supply materials… the novel by Stephen King. “I went again into the guide,” he confirmed, “and I realised that there was a lot greater than the origin story of Pennywise. I targeted on the interludes [and asked myself]: What is that this? , they’ve a operate within the guide, clearly, but it surely advised me a couple of puzzle that was deliberately unfinished within the guide. Stephen King creates all these enigmas and massive query marks to create rigidity. However for me, that time was like ‘what if this can be a blueprint for a special story?’”
For those who don’t know, the interludes in Stephen King’s novel are 5 first-person journal entries written by the character Mike Hanlon, who stayed in Derry to turn into its librarian. “He’s the Loser who stayed on the town,” Andy Muschietti defined. “He wrote the introductory doc that’s the product of his investigation, which is a really fragmented doc the place he compiles all of the experiences of individuals prior to now, and the place he tries to principally determine what ‘IT’ is. However it’s inconclusive. We’re left with extra questions than solutions.”
It’s these interludes that type the premise of the brand new collection, which is a prequel to the IT films, set in 1962 in Maine. “These interludes have been type of a blueprint for a special story, a hidden story. A narrative that isn’t advised ahead, however a narrative that’s advised backwards and has as a last conclusion for the occasions by which ‘IT’ turned Pennywise. And there’s a motive, and a secret as to why we’re telling the story backwards…”
That setting of 1962 was essential to Andy and Barbara because it took them nearer to the timeline within the unique books (the dates within the films differ from the books, shifting the 1957-58 dates within the guide to 1989 after which the later dates from 1985 to 2016 to make it extra interesting to trendy audiences). “1962 is nearer to 1958,” Andy Muschietti acknowledged. “So what we couldn’t do within the film when it comes to period (as a result of we transposed it to the 80s), we’re doing now. So I really feel that, in some ways, this primary season is nearer in spirit and in textures and really feel to what the guide was, although it’s not the identical characters… effectively, there are ancestors and bloodlines, and numerous issues that you’ll uncover…”
Andy Muschietti additionally introduced alongside his IT: Chapter Two filmmaking companion Jason Fuchs to the collection with him, who was equally excited to reply some questions that had been floating (sorry) round in his head. “We had numerous questions we needed to reply: why does ‘IT’, a being of pure gentle who might journey anyplace, determine to come back again to Derry repeatedly as its searching grounds?” he mused. “Absolutely there are extra densely populated, extra attention-grabbing locations it might go? What brings it again? Why has it chosen to return to the type of Pennywise? It will probably take any manifestation directly. What’s it about this clown, Bob Grey, that makes it need to proceed to take this type? And in order that form of strategy of unravelling these mysteries led to the present that we had such a beautiful time making.”
It’s clear that Andy, Barabara and John really feel deeply about this challenge. Not solely might they not let go of the thought initially considered over six years in the past (IT Chapter Two was launched in 2019) however in creating the collection, Andy additionally discovered himself taking a deep dive into King’s concepts. “It was fascinating,” he defined, “We went right into a deep dive into the story and put all these items collectively to create tales and mix all these items of the puzzle collectively. We additionally discovered a captivating story on our approach there.”
That’s not all, the horror grasp himself, Stephen King, was an advocate for the present. “We went to the nice Stephen King, who cherished the thought and supported us,” Barbara Muschietti revealed. “It was early 2020 once we talked to Warner, and right here we’re!”
We definitely are, and we will’t wait to see what Derry has in retailer for us subsequent!
IT: Welcome To Derry will likely be launched on Sunday 26 October on HBO within the US and on Monday twenty seventh October 2025 within the UK through Sky Atlantic and NOW.
