Stephen King fans have been creating wild theories about a possible connection lately. The new prequel series, It: Welcome to Derry, got everyone talking across social media platforms. People started seeing things in the trailers that immediately caught their attention. Some scenes looked strangely familiar to fans of another King story. This sparked significant debate about whether these separate universes might actually collide. Could there really be a link between Pennywise and The Mist’s monsters?
Forums exploded with people analyzing every single frame they could find. Fans compared screenshots side by side and built elaborate theories about crossovers. Social media went absolutely crazy with speculation and discussion. Director Andy Muschietti decided it was finally time to clarify things. What he said puts an end to all the guessing games once and for all. His explanation is straightforward but tells us quite a lot. It shows exactly what he’s really trying to accomplish with this highly anticipated series.
The fan theory that took over social media for It: Welcome to Derry
Footage from It: Welcome to Derry made fans notice something odd right away. There’s a spreading supernatural presence moving through the whole town in the clips. People thought it looked just like the fog from the movie The Mist. Both have creeping clouds that swallow everything they touch without mercy. Both hide terrifying things that you definitely don’t want to meet. The similarities seemed way too specific to be completely random. Everyone started drawing lines between Pennywise’s story and The Mist almost immediately in It: Welcome to Derry.
Stephen King wrote both stories, so why wouldn’t they connect somehow? The visual style made people think there had to be something deeper. Theories ranged from shared dimensions to overlapping timelines between the properties. Some fans believed this could be King’s cinematic universe finally taking shape. The excitement grew as more people joined the conversation each day.
Muschietti sets the record straight
Andy Muschietti came out and gave a clear answer about what’s actually happening, leaving little room for interpretation.
"Now that the pillars are lifted and the cage is open, I wanted to convey visually that force of super nature is expanding out."
Addressing the growing speculation head-on, he made it clear that fans were reading far more into the visuals than intended. He told Entertainment Weekly, clearly:
"There is no connection to The Mist."
He added:
"I’m sorry to disappoint everyone with this."
As a result, it ended all the crossover speculation for good. It: Welcome to Derry has nothing to do with The Mist on purpose or by design. What people saw was simply how Muschietti chose to show Pennywise’s growing power. He needed a powerful way to visually display the evil spreading across town. He explained:
The growing darkness symbolizes how this ancient creature becomes stronger with the passage of time. Viewers will see corruption slowly taking over every single part of Derry. The visual choice was entirely about serving the specific needs of this story. Muschietti wasn’t thinking about any other King properties when designing these scenes.
Why the visual language matters
Muschietti’s approach actually fits the story he’s telling in It: Welcome to Derry perfectly well. We’re going back decades to see Pennywise’s earlier attacks on the unsuspecting town. Displaying an expanding threat builds exactly the right kind of mounting tension. It proves that no street or house in Derry can escape this overwhelming evil.
The imagery works powerfully without borrowing from any other story. What Muschietti explained shows he’s thinking carefully about every single choice he makes. He wants people watching to sense danger creeping steadily into every location. The expanding force becomes a character in many ways. It represents how fear and evil can consume an entire community. This visual metaphor gives the series a distinct identity separate from the films.
What this means for the series
Knowing what Muschietti intended helps us understand It: Welcome to Derry much better now. This show will tell its own complete story without relying on gimmicks. There won’t be any surprise cameos from other King properties to generate buzz. What we’re getting is a deep look at how Pennywise controlled Derry.
The backstory will reveal dark secrets about the town’s genuinely cursed past. Expect genuine scares that stay entirely true to what King created. That spreading evil force will support everything the show is fundamentally about. It shows how darkness can infect an entire community bit by bit. The prequel format allows for the exploration of storylines that the movies couldn’t cover. Fans will see new characters facing the same ancient evil from fresh perspectives.
The bigger picture for It: Welcome to Derry
Muschietti’s honesty actually makes It: Welcome to Derry more exciting to anticipate. The series doesn’t require connections to other franchises to work successfully. Pennywise’s own history already provides more than enough nightmare fuel on its own.
His focus on visual storytelling demonstrates that he cares deeply about getting it right. The imagery of expanding evil will linger with viewers long after they have watched. People will grasp the full meaning once they see how it unfolds.
It: Welcome to Derry stands alone from The Mist, but Muschietti’s vision guarantees something terrifying that fans won’t forget anytime soon.