With the show being the first original expansion of the author’s work, Andy Muschietti confirms how involved Stephen King was with It — Welcome to Derry. The upcoming show serves as a prequel to both King’s iconic horror novel and Muschietti’s film adaptations of it, exploring the titular town in the ’60s as they find themselves terrorized by Pennywise the Dancing Clown, while also expected to explore the evil spirit’s origin story. 3 Body Problem‘s Jovan Adepo leads the Welcome to Derry cast alongside Taylour Paige, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider and Bill Skarsgård returning as Pennywise.
During a recent interview with Radio TU (via MovieWeb), Muschietti shared some insight into the creative process of developing It — Welcome to Derry. When asked about how involved King may or may not have been in the show, the co-creator confirmed that the author “has to approve everything“, though indicated the process was “really informal” for the show, with the horror icon having a lot of trust not only in the initial show, but also the creative team’s plans for the future. Check out what Muschietti explained below:
Stephen King has to approve everything. But it was really informal this time. I’ve had a close relationship with Stephen King since I made the movies. He writes to me, and I write him back. It’s an honor for me, and I consider him a friend. One day, I wrote to him and said, “We have this idea, which is to develop the interludes in a miniseries that will take place before the events of the movie,” and he loved it. He said, “Let’s do it!” Obviously, as we progressed, we kept showing him the work, and he approved the first draft of the script. Then we showed him where we would take the future seasons of the show. He trusts us because of what we did with the movies, which he loved as much as audiences did.
What This Means For It — Welcome To Derry
King’s Trust & Close Involvement Are Both Good Signs
Considering how rocky many prior King adaptations have been without a more direct involvement from the author, Muschietti’s comments are sure to come as a promising sign for It — Welcome to Derry. It also proves an interesting reveal that King essentially trusted Muschietti to handle the creative direction of the show without frequent notes and input, as the TV show marks the first non-book-based expansion of the 1986 source novel.
Some previous King adaptations have led to sequels or spinoffs not directly based on their source materials, namely the Children of the Corn franchise.
That being said, King’s trust in Muschietti may also prove surprising given the very different responses critics and audiences had to both of his IT movies. Where the first one garnered widespread acclaim and was a box office smash, It: Chapter Two memorably saw a divisive reception and saw a more modest box office haul. Given the sequel was unofficially co-written by Jason Fuchs, who went on to co-develop Welcome to Derry with both Andy and Barbara Muschietti and write all episodes, that could also prove a troublesome fear.
But regardless of how Chapter Two performed, King having faith in It — Welcome to Derry is still a better sign than many prior adaptations. The fact the author has continued to work with him is only comparable to his ongoing working relationship with Mike Flanagan, which began with Gerald’s Game and continues with both a Carrie miniseries and Dark Tower TV show. For Muschietti to have gotten King’s seal of approval for not just one, but a three-season prequel could mean Pennywise’s return will avoid feeling like an unnecessary franchise expansion.
Our Take On King’s Involvement On It — Welcome To Derry
His Final Opinion Will Be The True Selling Point
Though Muschietti’s assurances he got King’s approval are a welcome sign, I do still find myself wary about It — Welcome to Derry. Expansions of the author’s work in the past have rarely proven to be as effective as their predecessors, and even some recent adaptations of his novels haven’t felt disappointing despite their potential, particularly the Salem’s Lot movie and Pet Sematary: Bloodlines. However, if King comes out himself after seeing the show with some high praise for it, I think anticipation will grow much quicker for it.
Source: Radio TU (via MovieWeb)
Welcome to Derry is a prequel series set in the universe of Stephen King’s It. Slated for a 2025 release, the series explores the small town of Derry, Maine, in the early 1960s, delving into the origins of the malevolent entity known as Pennywise. The narrative focuses on the lives of the townspeople as they contend with the mysterious and sinister occurrences that foreshadow the terror to come.
- Release Date
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2025-00-00
- Network
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HBO
- Creator(s)
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Andy Muschietti
, Barbara Muschietti
, Jason Fuchs - Producers
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Bill Skarsgård
, Brad Kane
, Jason Fuchs - Seasons
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1
- Directors
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Andy Muschietti