HBO’s upcoming It prequel series, Welcome to Derry, is taking horror fans back even further in time to explore the haunting history of the small Maine town prominently featured in Stephen King’s classic novel. That includes a certain horrific event that was detailed in the book but only hinted at in Andy Muschietti’s 2017 film: the Black Spot.
Stephen King first captivated readers with the terrifying Pennywise when IT was first published in 1986. The frightening book was first adapted for the screen in 1990, but the franchise reached new heights with the 2017 film. Bill Skarsgård’s bone-chilling portrayal of the sinister clown brought in over $700 million at the global box office, and now the world is expanding with the prequel seriesWelcome to Derry. For all inquisitive fans, the answer to whether Skarsgård will assume the mantle of Pennywise yet again is a resounding yes.
The all-new series, set in 1962, takes place years before the events of both modern It movies. Andy and Barbara Muschietti, who developed the new HBO series, confirmed that one key component of King’s original novel will be featured in an all-new interview with Entertainment Weekly:
Our baseline is 1962, but we do a few jumps to the past…. Every 27 years when It appears, It’s cycle is marked by two catastrophic events, one at the beginning and one in the end.
We are using the Black Spot as an event in which many stories are built around.
With the Black Spot portion of the series set to feature the tragic murder of several Black patrons at the hands of a white supremacist group, social media chatter will be at a fever pitch. This is likely to be a hot topic considering the increasingly volatile political climate in America.
The Stephen King Resurgence Continues
Pennywise isn’t the only classic Stephen King character getting a renewed moment in the spotlight. Everyone’s favorite prom night tormentor, Carrie, is being adapted into a limited series as well. For the first time in over a decade, the telekinetic torturer is gracing screens and punishing all who wrong her, including her mother. King’s longevity and timelessness as a creator remain on display with each adaptation from page to screen.
However, in the meantime, all eyes remain on the Welcome To Derry series. Social media reactions to the latest developments of the show are proving to be quite mixed. Half of fans wish that different King source material could be adapted instead of relying on the same stories over and over again, with one X user tweeting, “As a big Stephen King nerd, I wish this stuff never gets made. Why keep dredging up the same source material. Boring.” On the other side of the spectrum, an equally loud portion of the audience is thrilled to further explore Derry’s backstory. An excited viewer’s sentiment on the subject, including the inclusion of the Black Spot, can be seen below: