It looks like Pennywise may have some new victims, as the first cast members for Welcome to Derry have been revealed. The show, which was recently given a series order at HBO Max, serves as a prequel to the events of Stephen King's It and It Chapter Two, taking us deeper into Derry's rich, bloody history. Now, according to Variety, the first four members of the cast have been set.
Joining in on the presumably bloody shenanigans will be Taylour Paige (Zola, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom), Jovan Adepo (Babylon, Watchmen), Chris Chalk (Perry Mason, Godzilla vs. Kong) and James Remar (Creepshow, Oppenheimer). Jason Fuchs (Argylle) is on board as the co-showrunner alongside Brad Caleb Kane (Tokyo Vice). It director Andy Muschietti and producer Barbara Muschietti helped to develop the show, with Muschietti also set to direct multiple episodes.
Plot details have been kept almost entirely under wraps at this point. All that has been said is that it will be based on King's novel and will "expand" the world. The good news there is that King's book is absolutely massive, with a lot of material that wasn't explored in the films. One thing that remains a bit up in the air is how they will handle Pennywise. Bill Skarsgård played the role rather memorably in both films, but recently said in an interview with Jake's Takes that he is not currently involved with the show.
"As of now, I'm not currently involved with it. If someone else gets to do it, my advice would be: Do it your own. Make it your own. Have fun with it. What I found pleasurable about that character is how abstract he was."
Granted, the producers could reach out to him between now and when production actually gets underway. Or maybe they are going in an entirely different direction, bringing us a new version of Pennywise from Derry's past. Anything is possible. Though Skarsgård was at the center of both It films, which rank as some of the highest-grossing in horror history, so it's hard to imagine they wouldn't at least try to get him on board in some capacity. But with casting underway, things are coming together, and it appears the brass at HBO Max are wasting no time with this one.
Welcome to Derry does not yet have a release date set.
