Posted in: HBO, Preview, streaming, TV | Tagged: hbo max, IT, Pennywise, preview, stephen king, welcome to derry

Welcome to Derry: HBO Max Reportedly Developing "It" Prequel Series

Published Tue, 29 Mar 2022 16:17:11 -0500

So if the following news is true then it brings three things so mind. First, we really miss Hulu's Castle Rock and wish it was on another streamer because it would've been treated better. Second, the expansion of "The Stephen King Doctrine" across the pop culture landscape will not be denied. Third, we're really, really okay with that. So according to reports from The Ankler and Variety, sources say that HBO Max is in development on a prequel series for the "It" film franchise. Tentatively titled Welcome to Derry, the series would kick off in the 1960s and would lead up to the events of 2017's It: Part One (based on King's classic horror novel) and is also expected to touch upon the backstory of Pennywise the Clown. Though representatives from HBO Max and Warner Bros. Television declined to comment, sources say that Andy Muschietti, who directed both films in the King franchise, is attached to executive produce the series alongside Barbara Muschietti and Jason Fuchs. Reportedly, Muschiettis and Fuchs developed the show's story with Fuchs penning the script. A mini writers' room for the show is said to now be open, with Warner Bros. Television serving as the producing studio behind the project (similar to how Warner Bros produced the two films).

The move is not surprising on two levels. First, multimedia companies are looking to streaming to help revitalize a number of their popular film IPs (like what Paramount+ is doing with its Fatal Attraction series). With HBO Max, Matt Reeves' Robert Pattinson-starring The Batman is looking to spin off a series based around Arkham Asylum as well as Colin Farrell's The Penguin (though it appears the Gotham City PD spinoff is on hold for now). And then there's the success that comes with working in King's very popular sandbox. A perfect example? The two "It" films grossed over $1.1 billion at the global box office.

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