HBO gave full support to IT: WELCOME TO THE terrifying opening scene of DERRY – “I thought, ‘They won’t let us air it'”

HBO gave full support to IT: WELCOME TO THE terrifying opening scene of DERRY – “I thought, ‘They won’t let us air it'”

The imminent En: Welcome to Derry the series doesn’t waste a single second before plunging viewers straight into horror. According to the director-producer duo Andy AND Barbara Muschiettithe show’s opening scene is an absolute nightmare of death, and they were shocked that HBO actually let them air it.

“Well, there’s a tradition of starting with a kick in the balls to establish what’s expected in terms of tone and style, but also to let people know that no one is safe in this world,” Andy said during a panel discussion at NYCC.

“They love the clock ticking, anyway. So that was the idea, not just in the first 10 minutes, but more broadly for the rest of the show at the end of the first episode, that you saw.”

Set in 1962, the prequel It explores the sinister roots of Derry’s cursed history and introduces an early version of the Losers Club that includes Derry’s grandparents ItIt’s the modern hero, Mike Hanlon.

It’s a dark origin story tied to the terrifying research Mike has done into Derry’s past, where Pennywise’s human alter ego, Bob Gray, still haunts the city.

Those who have seen the premiere say that the first ten minutes are some of the most shocking moments ever broadcast on television. And yes, that’s saying a lot.

“Personally, when we were shooting it, I was like, I don’t think they’re going to let us air it. I think there’s going to be Scissorhands everywhere,” Barbara admitted.

Much like the visceral openings of It and It: Chapter Two, the series wastes no time building atmosphere. It dives straight into a disturbing, blood-soaked sequence that’s as graphic as it is unforgettable.

“Because it’s very graphic, like the places where the camera is; it’s basically a very frontal angle of birth and anatomy, and also a lot of blood,” Andy explained.

Barbara added, “We didn’t know we were going to get away with it, but we had the full support of HBO and all things graphic horror and body horror. We’re very lucky.”

Co-showrunner and writer Jason Fuchs revealed that this gruesome opening was the first thing he wrote for the series – and serves as both the literal and symbolic birth of evil.

“I think the opening sequence of the pilot is probably my favorite — it’s one of the first things I wrote when I started writing the show,” Fuchs said.

“And it just feels like the birth of a new generation of terror, literally if you’ve seen the sequence. It taps into the fear and terror of that moment. It’s obviously a show set in 1962, in the context of the Cold War.

“The fear of nuclear war, the fear of nuclear radiation, and then being able to make something that kind of spoke was pretty exciting. And it goes in directions that you don’t expect, and it’s even more extreme in execution than it was on the page.”

Co-showrunner Brad Caleb Kane he added that the openness is a perfect reflection of what Welcome to Derry it’s really about.

“I love it so much because it sets the tone for the metaphor of the show, which is, you know, here’s this perfect American nuclear family,” Kane explained.

“It’s what you see on the surface, but you scratch a little deeper, you scratch the surface and you see the rot underneath. And that’s more the reality of what we deal with on the show.

“Everything is very shiny and perfect on the surface, but dig a little deeper and you’ll see that it controls everything, and it’s pretty awful underneath. I like it as a metaphor for the show as a whole.”

Bill Skarsgard returns as Pennywise, supported by a strong ensemble that includes Jovan Adepo as Leroy Hanlon, Chris Chalk as Dick Hallorann, Taylor Paige as Charlotte Hanlon, Giacomo RemarAND Stefano Cavaliere. Fans of The Shining One will be thrilled to know that Hallorann of Chalk uses his Shining abilities.

En: Welcome to Derry debuts October 26 on HBO Max.

Source: GamesRadar+

by Joey Paur
Source: Geek Tyrant

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