It: Welcome to Derryis on the way, and the upcoming prequel series is making up for the biggest missed opportunity from 2024’s major Stephen King movie. After the success of bothItmovies,It: Welcome to Derryis set to expand on the horrific world of Stephen King’s thrillereven further, with the series acting as a prequel to the 2017 and 2019 films. The HBO series will take place in the 1960s and focus on an all-new batch of Pennywise victims, withIt: Welcome to Derryalready acting as a major improvement over this panned Stephen King film.
2017’sItis one of the most popular movies based on a Stephen King book ever,with it kicking off an entire franchise and a resurgence in interest in big-budget Stephen King movies. SinceItwas released in 2017, all kinds ofmovies and TV shows based on Stephen King storieshave been greenlit, with many of them being big-budget remakes of horror stories that were previously made into movies. However,It: Welcome to Derryis set to tell a wholly original story set within theItuniverse, allowing it to improve onSalem’s Lot.
It: Welcome To Derry Is Diving Deep Into The Town’s History
Two Decades Before 2017’s It
The best part aboutIt: Welcome to Derryis that the upcoming series is diving deep into the history of the town of Derry, Maine.Derry, Maine has been the setting of many of Stephen King’s most popular stories, and while it is associated with all kinds of books, it is most well-known for being the setting ofIt. The title ofIt: Welcome to Derryshows just how important the town of Derry, Maine will be to the upcomingItprequel, with the town’s history and further reveals about the lore ofItbeing one of the most exciting things about the show.
HBO’s Welcome To Derry Teaser Gives Me Faith The Prequel Will Do Stephen King’s Work Justice
Welcome to Derry may be departing from the source material of Stephen King’s It, but some teaser footage clearly promises big things for the prequel.
While bothItmovies only focused on two appearances of Pennywise, the franchise has established that the clown returns every 27 years. This means thatIt: Welcome to Derry’s 1960s settingwill perfectly line up with a Pennywise appearance. The series will undoubtedly follow a new group of characters as they try to investigate Pennywise’s connection to the town of Derry as well as how to stop the monster. The show will flesh out Derry, Maine even further than it was in the movies, which is incredibly exciting news for fans of the franchise.
How Salem’s Lot Failed To Make The Setting Feel Like Its Own Character
It Wasn’t Nearly As Good As The Book
It: Welcome to Derryis already succeeding where 2024’sSalem’s Lotmovie failed. WhileSalem’s Lotis a story about vampires,the entire appeal of Stephen King’s original book is the town of Jerusalem’s Lot. The story spends so much time fleshing out random side characters and showing off odd details that make the world of Jerusalem’s Lot feel wholly unique, allowing the audience to care when the vampires start taking over. However, the 2024Salem’s Lotremake missed the mark here, as Jerusalem’s Lot doesn’t feel special in the movie at all.
Since2024’sSalem’s Lotwas only one feature film, it didn’t have enough time to give the town of Jerusalem’s Lot the attention to detail that it needed. It hardly ever strayed from telling the stories of the main characters, with the rest of the town being underdeveloped nobodies. This rips the entire appeal ofSalem’s Lotaway, and while it may be impossible to pull this off in a feature-length film, that doesn’t give the 2024 movie an excuse.
Welcome To Derry Further Proves That Salem’s Lot Would Have Worked Better As A TV Show
Giving Jerusalem’s Lot The Time That It Needed
2024’sSalem’s Lotdidn’t have to be a movie, andIt: Welcome to Derryproves that it would have worked much better as a TV show. Fleshing out the town of Derry, Maine wouldn’t work in anItprequel movie as there simply isn’t enough time. Instead, HBO is makingIt: Welcome to Derrya TV show, giving the series enough time to focus on these details.
Welcome To Derry Can Become What Another Stephen King Show Tried (& Failed) To Be
Welcome to Derry has a lot of potential to expand the universe of Stephen King, thus being what another King show tried and failed to be.
IfSalem’s Lothad been a miniseries rather than a movie, then it could have focused on the weird side characters and small details that made the book great. Instead,2024’sSalem’s Lotis one of the worst adaptations of the story, with it being a massive disappointment in the lead up toIt: Welcome to Derry.
It: Welcome to Derry
Cast
IT: Welcome to Derry serves as a prequel to the IT films, exploring the origins of Pennywise the Clown. Set in the 1960s, this installment dives into the backdrop of Derry, unveiling the dark history and circumstances surrounding the infamous creature.
