Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

HBO Max is developing a prequel series for Stephen King’s It

It may soon be time to move back to Derry. Variety is reporting that HBO Max is developing a prequel series for Stephen King’s It. Additionally, Andy Muschietti, the director of It: Part One and It: Part Two, is attached to the series as an executive producer alongside his wife Barbara Muschietti.

The Muschiettis are reportedly working on the story with their fellow executive producer Jason Fuchs, who will write the script. Andy Muschietti is also slated to direct the first episode if it goes to series. Warner Bros. Television is producing the potential show for HBO Max, and a writers’ room has already been opened.

Recommended Videos

King published his novel in 1986. It followed a group of children in the late ’50s who lived in a town called Derry. A malevolent entity was preying on the town’s children and literally devouring them. While the creature could assume the form of the kids’ greatest fears, it often took the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown. The novel also took place 27 years later, in the early ’80s, when the now-grown kids reassembled to face Pennywise again.

Pennywise the Clown in It.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The working title for the television series is Welcome to Derry, and it will explore life in the town before the events of It: Part One. Since the films moved the two time periods of the story to the ’80s and the present, the show will be set in the ’60s. It’s currently unknown if Bill Skarsgård is interested in reprising his role as Pennywise from the films. Regardless, Pennywise will have a major role on the series and the story will also explore his origin. The novel depicts Pennywise as a malevolent trans-dimensional being who came to Earth millions of years ago. That said, his origin has never fully been depicted on-screen before.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

HBO Max hasn’t officially ordered the It prequel to series yet, so there is no start date for the show to begin production at this time.

Blair Marnell
Blair Marnell has been an entertainment journalist for over 15 years. His bylines have appeared in Wizard Magazine, Geek…
The best performances in Stephen King movies, ranked
Jack Nicholson in "The Shining."

It's time for summer, which means more barbecues in the backyard, more people crowding the local swimming pool, and more trips to the movie theaters to catch the latest blockbuster. A new tradition for moviegoers has been watching scary movies during the hot weather months, with last year delivering the frightfully scary horror movie The Black Phone, among many others.

This year is no different, with The Boogeyman now scaring audiences in multiplexes across the nation. The horror movie, about two sisters being terrorized by an unseen menace in their spacious and creaky home, is just the latest in a long line of Stephen King adaptations. From 1976's Carrie to the It movies, these films have not only delivered thrills and chills, but also surprisingly good performances. From killer clowns to telekinetic teenagers, these performances are among the best ever in Stephen King's movies.
8. Tim Curry and Bill Skarsgård, It

Read more
Beyond Boogeyman: the 7 most underrated Stephen King movies and TV shows
Dan and Abra in "Doctor Sleep."

The literary works of Stephen King have led to countless adaptations for film and TV, so there were always bound to be a few that have been overlooked by the public. Though not all of them can be smash hits like Carrie or 2017's It, there are still some King-based projects that deserve more recognition from audiences, even if some of them don't stick to the source material.

The Boogeyman is the latest in a long line of King adaptations built to scare audiences. Whether or not you thought the book was better, these seven adaptations are still some of the most underrated projects based on King's substantial bibliography.
The Stand (2020)

Read more
Children of the Corn is back. We talked with the director about the remake and Stephen King’s appeal
children of the corn remake director interview childrenofthecorn 3

If remakes are what's hot right now in Hollywood, then remakes of Stephen King adaptations are infernos. Everyone seems to be digging into the back catalog of the famous horror writer, with new versions of It, Pet Sematary, Carrie, and Firestarter all hitting big and small screens in the last decade. [Remakes of Salem's Lot and Cujo are on the way.]

Another addition to that ever-growing list is a new version of Children of the Corn, which doesn't deviate too much from the 1984 original with Peter Horton and Linda Hamilton. There's lots of corn, some creepy kids, a few grisly deaths, and a charismatic leader who shouldn't be trusted. Digital Trends talked with the 2023 remake's director, Kurt Wimmer, about the enduring appeal of Stephen King and why he's drawn to remaking classic genre films from the '80s and '90s.

Read more