Summary:
- Warner Bros.’ ‘Welcome to Derry,’ connected to Stephen King’s ‘IT’ universe, is eagerly awaited among fans.
- The movie is directed by Andy and Barbara Muschietti with no confirmed release date so far.
With Warner Bros.’ “It” billion-dollar blockbuster movie series, it’s no surprise that Max is eager to push ahead with the proposed spinoff, “Welcome to Derry”. The spinoff/prequel series was announced in 2017, but it was only briefly teased in December alongside Max’s other projects (e.g. House of the Dragon” season 2), and thus far, there is no official trailer for it.
For horror fans, the return to Maine’s uncannily atmospheric small town is already one of the most anticipated. Gossiped to drop in 2025, fans can hardly wait to be embroiled in the bone-chilling Derry world.
What’s Welcome to Derry About? A Brief Overview in Plain Language
In the case of Welcome to Derry, the movie is a diversion from directly adapting Stephen King’s works, unlike the 1990 miniseries and 2017 and 2019 films. While Max’s series is set in King’s fictional universe centered around Derry, Maine, the location where the events of the It book unfolds, there isn’t any prequel novel to draw from.
That means the characters and storyline of the series are completely new territory. It’s unknown at this time who the main characters of Welcome to Derry will be, other than Pennywise the Clown, a staple in Derry’s dark history, and if they will be part of the original Losers Club.
Any Official Release Date for Welcome to Derry?
Without an official trailer for Welcome to Derry, it’s difficult to pin down a solid release date. In December, Max dropped a 2024 sizzle reel, which teased a plethora of 2025 projects, among them Welcome to Derry. That first glimpse didn’t specify any date. What will be noted is that with some of the titles in the showreel, no new material was shown at all, so it is likely going to be a while longer before the information is released.
Production on Welcome to Derry was affected by the SAG-AFTRA strike. It caused the series to stop filming in the middle of July 2023. As things stand currently, the show is on schedule as the wrap date is on June 28. With so little time left for filming, a 2025 release seems more or less possible, but no word from the network will see fans wait patiently for further details.
Who’s Behind the Scenes of Welcome to Derry?
Like its predecessors, which scored a massive 2017 box office hit and an equally well-received 2019 sequel, It Chapter Two, Welcome to Derry will be overseen by Andy and Barbara Muschietti.
The brother-sister duo, who teamed in the writing, directing, and producing of the recent series of It movies, are back for the same roles on Welcome to Derry. They’re joined by Jason Fuchs, who was a producer on It Chapter Two and who’ll act as creator and executive producer of the upcoming series. Brad Caleb Kane has been brought in as the showrunner.
Welcome to Derry Series Confirms Significant Stephen King Connection
Max’s “Ones to Watch in 2024” video teased glimpses of the upcoming horror TV series, officially christened for the first time as “Welcome to Derry: From the World of IT.” This indicates the show is to be directly linked to Stephen King’s infamous book “IT,” most likely to be a prequel to the film adaptation made in 2017.
The small clips he showed are some children riding bikes through town, a stranger in the woods, a chilling hand out of the water, and a man watching the red balloon float ominously.
