When HBO's IT: Welcome to Derry finally managed to float onto our screens, co-creator Barbara Muschietti said, "It was a huge challenge." Did you know that Pennywise's prequel almost didn't make it out of the sewer? It was because the Hollywood strikes shut down production for eight months.Before pencils were dropped and sets went dark, Muschietti said, "90% of three episodes" of IT: Welcome to Derry had been shot. But when the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes hit in 2023, Derry's production balloon popped.She told SFX Magazine:"We suddenly had to work in different seasons. This is a summer show, but suddenly it wasn’t (...) any more. We had to create a different finale with a different climate."That's horror in real life, no?How was IT: Welcome to Derry affected by the Hollywood writers' strikes? Imagine trying to finish a show about childhood trauma, only to have your actors come back with deeper voices and changed schedules! View this post on Instagram Instagram PostMuschietti said:"The kids were growing. Voices were changing. Schedules of actors suddenly became hellish."The strikes basically transformed filming. Derry had to be reimagined for cooler weather and an entirely new tone, and you can expect that it wasn't smooth sailing for the studio. The delay even muddied the continuity. The universe needed a reshoot to keep the consistency.Muschietti added:"I support the writers and the actors. But (...) the process of shooting (...) was complicated."The strikes ended when the Writers Guild of America reached an agreement with the AMPTP in September 2023, and SAG-AFTRA did so in November. But the whiplash they caused will be felt across the industry for years, especially on effects-heavy projects like this one.HBO had a series of promos for IT: Welcome to DerryDespite the setbacks, HBO has gone full-throttle on promotion. The "Red Balloon Takeover" turned the world into a Pennywise playground. Starting October 21, red balloons appeared in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Singapore, Sydney, and Dubai.IT: Welcome to Derry, got a hot air balloon promo in Manila, Philippines (Image via Warner Bros.)From solo balloons in Central Park to a Pennywise lurking at the Santa Monica Pier, the activation blurred fiction and reality. Social media lit up as influencers, horror accounts, and pedestrians posted their balloon sightings.Meanwhile, at New York Comic Con, they unveiled the Face Your Fears fan experience. It was an AI-driven installation about a 1960s Derry bedroom where childhood nightmares came to life. The cast and creators (including Andy and Barbara Muschietti, Jason Fuchs, and stars Taylour Paige and Jovan Adepo) joined the panel to reveal a trailer and tease what's coming.Despite the chaos, the clown is back, and the numbers back it. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe show's two-part premiere scared 5.7 million U.S. viewers in its first three days. IT: Welcome to Derry Episode 2, even got an early Halloween drop on HBO Max for fans (like me) who had been waiting since 2019's IT Chapter Two.With the season finale scheduled for December 14, IT: Welcome to Derry will air on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and HBO Max.NEXT - It: Welcome To Derry characters are related to the Losers Club