Stephen King let the It: Welcome to Derry team “Play with his toys,” says director Andy Muschietti

The shape-shifting clown Pennywise, who became an inspiration for many Halloween costumes, will return for a new cycle of horror in It: Welcome to Derry. The upcoming chapter on HBO Max is a prequel series to the hit horror movie franchise It, based on Stephen King's novel.

It: Welcome to Derry is created by the Muschetti siblings, Andy & Barbara and Jason Fuchs, all of whom were involved in the It films. The series is set 20 years before the first It film, in 1962 Maine, where the clown Pennywise is gearing up for another round of hunting and horror. The series will feature a new story, along with an all-new cast, except for actor Bill Skarsgård, who will reprise his creepy clown character from the It films.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Andy Muschietti revealed how King trusted the original showrunners with full responsibility for the upcoming series:

"Stephen didn’t approach the show like that. He wasn’t imposing any kind of guidelines on us. I think his desire was to let us play with his toys because from the beginning, we were clear to him."

More on this in our story.

Stephen King handed the horror crown to Andy Muschietti for It: Welcome to Derry

While the critically acclaimed and horror staple It franchise was based entirely on Stephen King's novels, the upcoming show is shifting gears. It: Welcome to Derry is instead based on the characters penned by the King of horror, with a somewhat original script by the showrunners. The series will follow the iconic shape-shifting clown in another cycle of violence in 1962 Maine.

Discussing King's involvement with the project, the Muschietti siblings revealed the author left complete creative control of It: Welcome to Derry with them. Andy Muschietti broke down his vision for the show (which he also discussed with Stephen King) as:

''We said, “Your book is a mystery. It’s a puzzle and left unsolved intentionally. And we’re going to create a lot of stuff to bring those enigmas, and also to fill in the gaps in the puzzle. Eventually, this creates a story that’s not in the book. It’s a hidden story."'

Barbara Muschietti added:

"We wanted to do a show that basically went backwards, where each season was a cycle of Pennywise and he loved that concept and gave us all the rope we needed."

It: Welcome to Derry will feature a different Pennywise

The Muschietti siblings have not only crafted a new and original story from King's universe, but also altered the way we see one of his most horrific creations, ie, Pennywise. Much to fans' delight, It: Welcome to Derry will mark Bill Skarsgård's iconic return as the creepy clown Pennywise and the main antagonist in Stephen King's horror-verse.

Since horror is in the unknown, it was challenging for the Muschietti siblings to make Pennywise unfamiliar to their audiences for the series. Pennywise has been a looming presence in the It movies, which made it difficult for them to create a sense of horror and dread for the audience. However, the creepy clown will be seen in a new avatar in the upcoming series.

The eight-episode series format allowed the showrunners to explore one of Stephen King's most fascinating creations through a new lens and fans will certainly see new lore and versions of Pennywise.

Talking about Pennywise in It: Welcome to Derry, Andy Muschietti said:

''The last thing we want is to have an audience get comfortable with Pennywise. We don’t want anybody to get used to his image. He’s unpredictable. He strikes whenever he feels like it.''

This suggests that the upcoming series will not only follow a different cycle of violence and horror but a new form of the creepy clown that terrorized a generation of children in the It movies.

You can catch the new adventure of the Pennywise clown in the It: Welcome to Derry premiere on HBO Max on Sunday, October 26.

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