A prequel to the Warner Bros. horror film IT is being produced as a series by HBO Max – and here’s all we know about it.
The news came yesterday, Tuesday March 29, when Variety reported it had learned from ‘sources’ the prequel series to the reboot movies is in the works.
What is IT?
The film began life as a book written by the renowned horror writer Stephen King and was released in 1986. Split over two timelines and set in the fictional town of Derry, Mane, the story follows the experiences of seven children – the Losers Club – as they are terrorized by an evil entity, IT, that exploits the fears of its victims to disguise itself while hunting its prey. IT primarily appears in the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown to attract its preferred prey of young children.
In 1990 IT became a terrifying film sensation, for the first time, when it became a two-part movie starring Tim Curry as Pennywise. It was your classic book to movie adaptation – with a few changes to the story – and ultimately a cult classic, with Curry’s Pennywise being named, several times, ‘most terrifying clown characters in film and television’.
The story got a reboot once more in 2017 with It: Chapter One and It: Chapter Two. The modern films timelines differed slightly from the book and the original films with the Losers being children in the 80s rather than the 50s/60s and adults in modern day. Also, Bill Skarsgård was cast as Pennywise and with this the clown got a terrifying new make over.
The first film won ten awards and both films collectively grossed over $1.1 billion at the global box office, so as reboots go it was pretty successful.
What we know about the prequel
According to Variety the prequel series, currently called Welcome to Derry, will begin in the 1960s in the time leading up to the events of It: Part One. And yes, the story is also said to include the origin story of Pennywise the Clown.
Andy Muschietti, who directed the 2017 reboot movies is attached to executive produce the series along with Barbara Muschietti and Jason Fuchs.
Variety sources say: ‘Muschiettis and Fuchs developed the story for the show with Fuchs writing the script. Andy would also direct the first episode should the project go to series. the A writers’ room is now open. Warner Bros. Television is the studio behind the project, with WB having produced the two films.’