Any true Stephen King fan will be able to tell you exactly why you should be afraid of visiting Derry. There is something terrible and hungry living in this little town in Maine, and it goes by the name IT. Whether you saw the original 1980s TV series, you probably heard about IT via Andy Muschietti’s terrifying IT and its sequel, IT: Chapter 2. King’s monster classic IT was turned into two films that concluded the plot.
However, evil is resilient; a new horror series based in Derry is on the horizon. When will Pennywise make his return? From Derry’s drains, what new horrors could one day emerge? Will the Loser’s Club please stand up? The information we have so far on the Welcome to Derry release date is as follows.
Welcome to Derry Release Date
It is expected that 2024 will see the debut of Welcome to Derry. The original release date for the series on streaming services was set for 2023. However, the release year of 2024 was announced in the MAX relaunch announcement video in April. There has been no update on when the Pennywise-themed show will premiere. However, we anticipate its arrival in the first part of this year. This timeframe is an estimate determined by the knowledge we have thus far.
Welcome to Derry Plot
There’s a lot of scary mystery around the series, but we do know that Welcome to Derry will begin in the 1960s and build up to the happenings of the first IT movie. Derry will go more into the villain’s backstory, even if Bill Skarsgrd isn’t likely to return as Pennywise.
The two IT movies hardly touched on this topic. The author has mostly left the mystery of Pennywise and his place in the “King-verse” to the pages of his meaty, 1000-plus-page horror epic. It will be fascinating to see what elements Derry borrows from the book and how he relates them to the film adaptation.
Welcome to Derry Cast
The Welcome to Derry cast has been largely disclosed, however, there have not been any teasers about whom the actors appearing in HBO’s It prequel series are portraying. The following actors have been cast in Welcome to Derry:
- Taylour Paige
- Madeleine Stowe
- Stephen Rider
- Jovan Adepo
- Chad Rook
- Chris Chalk
- James Remar
In spite of sharing continuity with Andy Buschietti’s two It films, the prequel series takes place decades before those films and features none of the original cast members. Bill Skarsgrd, who played Pennywise in the first film, seems to have stated he will not be returning to the Welcome to Derry ensemble.
Welcome to Derry Trailer
A trailer for “Welcome to Derry” has not yet been released. We do, nevertheless, have the first official behind-the-scenes view, which director Andy Muschietti released on Instagram. The police station is visible in the background, and Chief Clint Bowers’s name is prominently displayed on an elaborately decorated entrance.
Welcome to Derry Production Details
Variety announced in March 2022 that Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs were developing and executive producing a prequel series for HBO Max titled Welcome to Derry, which is expected to take place in the 1960s before the events of It: Chapter One and will feature the origin story of Pennywise the Clown.
In November of 2022, the program was officially greenlit for production, and Fuchs and Brad Caleb Kane were brought on as co-showrunners. It was announced in February 2023 that Andy Muschietti will film various episodes of the series, including the pilot, with Fuchs acting as writer.
Production on “Greetings from Fairview” got underway in May 2023 in Toronto and Port Hope and was scheduled to wrap up in December. The SAG-AFTRA strike halted filming in the middle of July.
Where to watch Welcome to Derry?
Only HBO Max subscribers will be able to watch Welcome to Derry.
Conclusion
The horror anthology series “Welcome to Derry” was developed by Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs. Muschietti’s “It” prequel explores Pennywise’s backstory. The show, set in the 1960s before the release of the original “It” film, will debut on Warner Bros.
Discovery’s Max streaming service in 2024. Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe, Chris Chalk, Jovan Adepo, and James Remar are among the cast. The project has been given Stephen King’s blessing. The horror of “It” is revealed when Pennywise’s history and the curse of Derry are investigated.