The one different writer, apart from Stephen King, who can lay declare to having extra of their work mined for tv and movie has obtained to be God. Present of arms of people that noticed “The Lifetime of Chuck” earlier this yr and had the “Oh, proper, that was based mostly on a Stephen King story, after all” second when the credit rolled. King is extraordinarily prolific, and his myriad of tales faucet into one thing particular concerning the human psyche — and most particularly the innocence of childhood.
Consider among the most enduring King diversifications. “The Shining.” “Carrie.” “Stand By Me.” The attitude of youth, in all its awkwardness, terror, and pleasure, is a persistent throughline. “It” is the very best instance of this facet of his work. The mammoth 1,000+ web page 1986 novel has been memorably translated to movie twice — as soon as because the two-part Tim Curry 1990 miniseries and once more because the Invoice Skarsgård two-part movie sequence (2017 and 2019). Generations of kids of felt chills on the sight of rain jackets and crimson balloons due to these movies and their supply materials.
So to make a full-fledged prequel tv sequence out of the e-book is smart. A (second) teaser for “It: Welcome to Derry” was launched July 27, which you’ll watch beneath. Warning: it might spoil no matter love you’ve gotten for “The Music Man.”
What’s most fascinating about this trailer comes about 57 seconds in, when a bus is proven for “Shawshank State Jail,” which is after all the setting of the King novella “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption and its subsequent acclaimed movie adaptation “The Shawshank Redemption,” lengthy listed because the No. 1 movie ever by IMDb customers. This places the sequence not solely in the identical universe as the newest “It” movies, however probably in the identical world as many different King works.
The connections between King’s personal works have been mentioned for many years — not less than for the reason that 2001 e-book “The Stephen King Universe” was printed. Pennywise — the titular “It” clown — and the city of Derry are talked about in quite a lot of King tales and display screen translations, together with “Citadel Rock,” “The Darkish Tower,” Insomnia,” “Most Overdrive,” and “Grey Matter.” Carrie White — you already know, “Carrie” — is talked about straight within the “It” novel. I imply, even the Overlook Lodge from “The Shining” is talked about in his e-book “Distress.” Then King wrote his personal sequel to that, “Physician Sleep,” which additionally turned a film.
Earlier than the Marvel Cinematic Universe made it on to our screens, these refined connections between Maine’s favourite writer’s spectacular catalogue was already on full show. So, proper out of the gate, to incorporate this nod and place “Welcome to Derry” proper smack nab within the Stephen King pantheon is certainly a “welcome” transfer.
At Comedian-Con on July 27, followers have been additionally handled to a 10-minute preview of the brand new present (which has not been made accessible on-line as of this writing). In line with Leisure Weekly, the scenes — set in 1962 — comply with a boy who sneaks right into a movie show, is caught, after which escapes… solely to hitch a journey with a mild-mannered household that seems to be the shape-shifting “It.” This intro echos that of its supply materials, which additionally opens on a younger boy’s ugly dying by the hands of Pennywise.
The eight-episode “It: Welcome to Derry” premieres on HBO and HBO Max this October. Watch the primary teaser trailer, launched in Could, beneath.