EN: WELCOME TO DERRY First photos and story of The Black Spot and other Derry horrors confirmed

Stephen King’S It is much more than just a terrifying novel about a supernatural, shape-shifting clown. Beneath its layers of horror lies a tapestry of real-world fear, trauma, and dark history.

King’s behemoth novel divides its horror between the clown we all know, Pennywise, and the true horrors of history, prejudice, and cyclical fear.

The next HBO Max series, EN: Welcome to Derry, dives into those murky waters, peeling back layers of Derry’s sinister past and exploring a first encounter with It that’s as disturbing as anything from the original story.

This highly anticipated prequel series promises to bring to life some of the series’ most disturbing moments Itthe “interludes” that punctuated the horror between Pennywise and the Losers’ Club in King’s novel.

One of the most memorable stories is the one told by Mike Hanlon’s father, Will Hanlon, a story he kept hidden until his final days. In ItIn the second interlude, Mike visits his father in the hospital and listens to him recount a heartbreaking chapter from his youth.

Years earlier, Will Hanlon and his fellow Air Force servicemen had created a nightclub called The black spot, a refuge for black patrons in a time of segregation and entrenched racism.

One night, Maine’s Legion of White Decency, a violent supremacist group, burned the club to the ground, killing many innocent people. And while the Legion started the fire, something far more sinister lurked in the flames…It himself, taking the form of a monstrous bird, who abducts his victims amidst the fiery chaos.

This sad story of the Black Spot fire is not just a look at Derry’s history of terror, but one of the inspirations for EN: Welcome to Derry.

This nine-episode series, developed by Andy Muschietti, Barbara MuschiettiAND It’s chapter two scribe Jason Fuchswill delve into the origins of the Reign of Terror in Derry.

AS Entertainment weekly report in their exclusive first look, EN: Welcome to Derry seeks to honor these dark interludes, allowing Mike Hanlon’s character to discover more about Derry’s disturbing past and the origins of the monstrous clown who returns to prey on the city’s children every 27 years.

Andy and Barbara said: “It’s so rich in characters and events that we thought we’d do the book and the fans justice by returning to this world.

“Specifically, we are telling the stories of the interludes, writings by Mike Hanlon based on his investigation that includes interviews with the city’s elders. In Welcome to Derrywe touch on the usual themes that were talked about in the film — friendship, loss, the power of a unified faith — but this story also focuses on the use of fear as a weapon, which is one of the things that is also relevant for our times .”

The Muschiettis promise it Welcome to Derry will touch on familiar themes such as friendship, loss and the power of faith, while tackling a timely and terrifying topic: fear used as a weapon.

The Tragedy of the Black Spot was originally set in the 1930s, but the new show shifts the year to 1962, keeping within the revised timeline established in Muschietti’s films.

This change sets the stage for Pennywise’s 27-year cycle of terror, rooted in the Cold War era, a time that, much like the 1930s, was filled with real-world fear, prejudice, and uncertainty.

Muschietti says, “Twenty-seven years is Pennywise’s dormant period. It’s a different part of American history, with a new set of fears for children, as well as adults, that keep in mind the cost of the Cold War.

“Our reference base is 1962, but let’s take a leap into the past… Every 27 years, when it appears, its cycle is marked by two catastrophic events, one at the beginning and one at the end. We’re using Black Spot as an event around which a lot of stories are built.”

Jovan Adepo (Babylon, 3 Problem of the body) AND Taylor Paige (Zola, Beverly Hills Cop 4) lead an impressive cast, which also sees Bill Skarsgard come back as Pennywise.

The report hints at a deeper connection to the Hanlon family, suggesting Adepo could play a younger Will Hanlon and Paige his future wife, Jessica, though the Muschiettis remain cryptic on the details.

The tease: “We don’t want to spoil too much, but let’s say the Hanlon family is involved.”

For King fans and horror buffs, EN: Welcome to Derry will offer a journey through the dark alleys and terrifying history of Derry, revealing the origins of the evil that has plagued the city for centuries.

The Muschiettis stress that the series will explore Pennywise’s origins, but with a distinctive twist of mystery, mirroring King’s approach.

They say, “We’re going to explore Pennywise’s origins, but like in the book, we’re going to do it with a healthy dose of crypticism.”

T: Welcome to Derry will premiere on HBO and stream on Max in 2025. This thing will take viewers on a chilling journey back in time, exploring the darkness beneath the surface of Derry, and I can’t wait!

Andy directs four of the nine episodes, including the premiere.

Source: EW