The Max series Welcome to Derry, which will serve as a prequel to Warner Bros’ two-part adaptation of the classic Stephen King novel It (pick up a copy HERE), went into production in Port Hope, Ontario earlier this year, aiming for a Halloween 2024 premiere. But, of course, the show’s progress has been slowed by the lengthy writers strike, which recently ended, and the ongoing actors strike. So the premiere is being pushed back a bit. Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO and Max Content, has said that we probably won’t see Welcome to Derry until 2025.
Deadline reports that Bloys said, “We had had [Welcome To Derry] scheduled for Halloween ’24 but it will likely be pushing into ’25.“
Brad Caleb Kane (Tokyo Vice) and Jason Fuchs (Wonder Woman), who was a co-producer on It: Chapter Two, are the showrunners on Welcome to Derry. The show is being executive produced by Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti, the sibling director/producer duo that was behind the two It movies, through their production company Double Dream. Kane and Fuchs are also executive producing, as are Shelley Meals, Roy Lee, and Dan Lin. The series is produced by HBO Max and Warner Bros. Television.
Fuchs has written the script for the first episode, working from a story he crafted with the Muschiettis.
The cast of Welcome to Derry includes Taylour Paige (Zola), Jovan Adepo (Watchmen), Chris Chalk (Perry Mason), James Remar (Dexter), Madeleine Stowe (Revenge), and Stephen Rider (Daredevil). Details on their characters have not been revealed.
While we’re probably going to be seeing the evil Pennywise the Clown on the show at some point, Bill Skarsgard (who played Pennywise in Muschietti’s movies) has said that he is not currently involved with Welcome to Derry.
Stephen King had this to say about the series: “I’m excited that the story of Derry, Maine’s most haunted city, is continuing, and I’m glad Andy Muschietti is going to be overseeing the frightening festivities, along with a brain trust including his talented sister, Barbara. Red balloons all around!“ The Muschiettis added, “As teenagers, we took turns reading chapters of Stephen King’s It until the thick paperback fell to pieces. It is an epic story that contains multitudes, far beyond what we could explore in our It movies. We can’t wait to share the depths of Steve’s novel, in all its heart, humor, humanity, and horror.“
Are you looking forward to Welcome to Derry? What do you think of the show moving into 2025? Let us know by leaving a comment below.