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

Welcome to Derry: HBO Max's Pennywise Prequel Series Filming In April

Based on a recent production list, it looks like filming is taking place in April on HBO Max's It/Pennywise prequel series, Welcome to Derry.

Published Thu, 02 Feb 2023 12:50:10 -0600

by Ray Flook

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A little less than three months after HBO Max's upcoming "It" film franchise prequel series found its showrunners in Jason Fuchs (Wonder Woman) & Brad Caleb Kane (Tokyo Vice), we have what looks to be good news to pass along regarding Welcome to Derry. The series kicks off in the 1960s and leads up to the events of 2017's It: Part One (based on Stephen King's classic horror novel) while also touching upon the backstory of Pennywise the Clown. Now, based on a listing on Production List, the series is looking to start filming in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on April 3rd. Andy Muschietti, who directed both films in the King franchise, will executive produce the series alongside Barbara Muschietti, Fuchs, and Kane. In addition, Fuchs wrote the teleplay for the first episode based on a story he wrote with the Muschiettis, with Andy Muschietti considering directing the series opener. Warner Bros. Television serves as the studio, with the Muschiettis' Double Dream production company also producing.

Here's a look at a screencap from the production listing, followed by a look back at King's initial thoughts on the series:

"I think that when I die, I will kind of disappear from the paperback racks. But that f***ing clown is going to live forever. Well, I don't have a relationship to Pennywise now. Because I have no intention of going back to 'IT.' It's in the hands of people who are doing this… Andy and Barbara [Muschietti] are going to do 'Welcome to Derry.' They're talking about it anyway. And they've got sort of a handshake deal, I think, with HBO Max," King explained while checking in with Bloody Disgusting's The Losers' Club: A Stephen King Podcast, confirming that he won't be revisiting Pennywise anytime soon in his novels while also confirming development on the prequel project. As for the concept behind the HBO Max series, King sees it as an "interesting" direction to take. "It's an interesting possibility to do that. They talked about a prequel. Which struck me as an okay idea. I'd love to see what Pennywise was up to 27 years before the '50s. Or, I guess it would be the '80s because they updated the [setting]," King shared. "So it would be, you know, before World War II or something. It'll be interesting to see what will happen with that."

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