The Stephen King universe continues to expand as a fan-favorite character from The Shining will be heavily featured in the upcoming series, It: Welcome to Derry.
The highly anticipated horror prequel series will explore the terrors that Pennywise caused in Derry, Maine, 27 years before his encounter with the Losers Club and the events of the first film/novel. Bill Skarsgard is reprising his iconic role from the It movies, with Andy Muschietti also involved as the director of the first few episodes.
How It: Welcome to Derry is Connected to The Shining
While the majority of the characters in It: Welcome to Derry are new creations that did not exist in the King novel nor the Muschietti movies, it will also introduce a younger version of a fan-favorite character from The Shining.
The upcoming series will also focus on Dick Hallorann, years before he became part of the Overlook Hotel staff, and his encounter with the Torrance family. He is played by Chris Chalk.
During their recent panel appearance at New York Comic Con (via EW), Chalk teased what fans should expect on Dick Hallorann's role in the story and his face-off with Pennywise.
"Dick is in Derry because Dick f***ed up. And that's the truth. You'll see the show and you'll get that," he said.
However, Dick is also trying to avoid Pennywise's terror around Derry during the events of the series.
Chalk added, "Dick thinks all of these people are corny, he doesn't respect a single one of them, and that's the journey of Dick. The Dick you know is super nice... Good luck with this Dick."
Fans should also not expect to meet the same Dick Hallorann that they saw in The Shining, as he doesn't have the full potential of his powers yet.
"The thing that Dick fears is himself. You're gonna meet him at a stage when he has a different relationship with his internal self, with his spiritual world, and his biggest fear is himself and losing control," Chalk continued.
What to Expect in It: Welcome to Derry
Set in the world of King's It universe, Welcome to Derry expands the vision established by filmmaker Andy Muschietti in the feature films. The story takes place in 1962, when a couple with their son move to Derry, Maine, just as a young boy disappears. As they arrive in town, very bad things begin to terrorize the community.
The cast includes Jovan Adepo, Taylour Paige, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe, Rudy Mancuso, and Bill Skarsgård.
The first season consists of eight episodes. It is set to premiere on HBO and HBO Max this October 26, with new episodes releasing weekly until its season finale on Sunday, December 14.
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